Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2014
529. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the capital funding spent on social housing (details supplied) in each of the years 2010 to date in 2014; the number of housing units this equated to in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37707/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding provided by my Department to local authorities for social housing encompasses a range of programmes and actions. My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including historical data on social housing output since 2005. These statistics are available on my Department’s website at: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/FileDownLoad,15291,en.xls.
The main areas of social housing capital investment are the local authorities’ own social housing construction and acquisitions programme, the Capital Assistance Scheme though which funding is provided to the approved housing bodies, and the Regeneration Programme. Expenditure under these programmes for the years in question is as follows:
|
Year |
Local Authority Housing |
Capital Assistance Scheme |
Regeneration Programme |
|
2010 |
€417.5m |
€113.6m |
€115.7m |
|
2011 |
€189.2m |
€38.0m |
€117.0m |
|
2012 |
€116.9m |
€58.0m |
€100.6m |
|
2013 |
€83.3m |
€36.7m |
€69.4m |
These amounts are in addition to other areas of social housing investment, such as energy efficiency and retrofitting works; returning vacant properties to productive use; Traveller specific accommodation and housing adaptation grant schemes for older people and people with a disability.
Earlier this year, my Department announced some €68 million for the local authority housing construction programme 2014-15, to deliver 449 new units of accommodation for people on housing waiting lists. In addition, some €46 million is being provided for approved housing bodies under the Capital Assistance Scheme, for the construction and acquisition by them of some 416 new homes for persons with specific categories of housing need over the same period.
Some €70 million is being provided in 2014 to support the completion and advancement of regeneration projects at a number of locations around the country, including large scale projects in Ballymun, Dublin City, Limerick and Cork and smaller scale projects in Tralee, Sligo and Dundalk.
Capital funding provided for social housing is supplemented by current expenditure and the totality of expenditure on social housing from my Department is expected to yield in the region of 6,000 social housing units this year.
Plans in relation to the future delivery of social housing are now being developed as part of a new Social Housing Strategy, which will be considered by Government shortly. The Strategy will contain clear, measurable actions to increase the supply of social housing, based on innovative solutions that will harness new funding streams, in order to continue to protect the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society.
