The funding that is provided by my Department to local authorities for social housing supports the development of new social housing units and also the purchase of units that may be privately owned. A similar approach applies to funding sanctioned by local authorities to approved housing bodies, which can be for either new build or the acquisition of existing housing units.
There are some instances where funding for social housing developments is linked to job stimulus programmes and, in those cases, it is a requirement that funding is used for new housing developments. However, in general, it is a matter for each local authority, as the housing authority for its area, to identify the social housing need and to respond as required. Where acquisitions are undertaken for social housing purposes, I expect local authorities to do so in a way that is sensitive to issues such as tenure mix and impact on the local housing market.
Budget 2015 has seen the provision of capital funding for social housing provision increased by €180 million. This will see an acceleration of local authority direct build and acquisition of properties. The targets for housing units to be delivered through this increased funding is 946 units delivered by local authorities and 440 through approved housing bodies.