Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 March 2014
16. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to develop a comprehensive housing policy for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11908/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s 2011 Housing Policy Statement clearly outlines that the priority for Government is to meet the most acute needs of households applying for social housing support. Government is responding to these needs through a variety of mechanisms and more flexible funding models. To maximise the social housing gain from constrained resources, the social housing leasing initiative and the Rental Accommodation Scheme each play their part and I am fully committed to capturing social housing gain from private developments. Alongside expanding the role of the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in terms of acquisitions and construction, other mechanisms will include options to purchase within the leasing model and build to lease.
In July 2012, I announced details of a three-year funding programme of €100 million to deliver some 800 new units of voluntary and local authority owned social housing. In 2014, funding for housing, at over €587m, is effectively maintained at 2013 levels. This includes a €50 million capital stimulus to support construction and related programmes, primarily in the housing area, including €30 million to recommence a State house building programme; €10 million for an unfinished housing estate resolution project; and €10 million for housing adaptation grants. I expect the final output across all social housing programmes for 2014 to be in the region of 5,000 new housing units. With the benefit of the additional capital for new housing construction, I expect the new social housing construction programme for 2014 - 2015 to deliver close to 700 new social and voluntary homes. A special investment of €15 million for the retrofitting of boarded-up local authority houses is intended to bring 400 homes back into productive use.
The Homelessness Oversight Group, which I established in 2013 to review progress on our Homelessness Policy Statement, has submitted its first report to me, and this is available on my Department's website. The report considered the supply and access to housing units throughout the country, and the Government has approved the establishment of a Homelessness Policy Implementation Team and an implementation unit, tasked with delivery of its recommendations.
I remain committed to continuing to develop and research innovative and sustainable approaches to the provision of social housing.
