Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 March 2015
507. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department will provide funding assistance (details supplied) to ensure that housing can be constructed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9895/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Dublin Housing Supply and Co-ordination Task Force was established under Action 2 of the Government’s Construction 2020 Strategy with an immediate focus on addressing supply-related issues and to work closely with industry and other parties, including those responsible for key infrastructure such as schools, to identity and address any obstacles to viable and appropriate development.
In line with its remit, the immediate focus of the Task Force has been to monitor trends in the supply of viable and market-ready approved developments. The first report of the Task Force was finalised in June 2014 and is available on my Department’s website at thefollowing link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/FileDownLoad,40631,en.pdf.
In that report, it was indicated inter alia, that:
1) Across the four Dublin authorities, planning permission is in place for the immediate development of 12,785 houses and 7,925 apartments (includes 8,225 houses and 2,063 apartments in the case of Fingal County Council), which permissions are unconstrained from any short term infrastructure issues and which level of development would broadly equate to at least 3 years supply of new homes if they were being built at a rate of 7,500 homes per annum, for Dublin.
2) A further 25,507 new homes are deemed permissible in the immediate to short term on lands zoned and available for development but currently without the benefit of a planning permission.
3) Together, the extent of permitted development and lands available for development are sufficient to meet Dublin’s needs for at least the next 6 years, which suggests that wider economic conditions and structural and financial issues within the housing and development sector are more significant constraints on an uplift in activity than the availability of lands or planning permission.
The Task Force's Second Report on Critical Infrastructure Deficits in Residential Priority Areas in the Dublin Region has been submitted to my Department and I will give due consideration to its conclusions in consultation with my Government colleagues.
