Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 February 2017
260. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the measures he has taken in co-ordinating the four Dublin local authorities in preparing Dublin for a post-Brexit situation in order to maximise the housing opportunities for immigrant workers associated with such foreign direct investment opportunities. [5354/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government has adopted a whole-of-Government approach to the challenges posed by Brexit, led by the Cabinet Committee on Brexit, which is chaired by the Taoiseach. While the specific impact of Brexit will be determined by the nature of the new relationship between the EU and the UK, our objective to grow the number of jobs supported by the enterprise agencies remains, and in that context additional resources have been provided for Enterprise Ireland and the IDA specifically to help enterprises to deal with the impact of Brexit. As part of our offering, investors will look for adequate availability of both residential and commercial property.
In that context, my priority, as Minister with responsibility for housing and planning, is to ensure that all reasonable steps are being taken to secure the required increase in housing supply to at least 25,000 homes per annum by 2021. This includes measures to encourage and incentivise the increase of housing supplied by the private sector for purchase and rent. I am also working to ensure that housing is delivered much more quickly from key strategic sites in both public and private ownership, particularly off State lands.
In addition, local authorities, through the City and County Management Association are engaging directly with the Department of An Taoiseach and my Department in relation to the impact and implications of Brexit.
With regard to ensuring sufficient supply is coming on-stream in Dublin, my Department works closely with the four Dublin local authorities, through the governance arrangements under Rebuilding Ireland and more specifically, through the Dublin Housing Supply Coordination Taskforce, which was established to address supply-related issues to the delivery of homes in the Dublin region. The Taskforce comprises representatives from my Department, the Chief Executives of the four Dublin local authorities (Dublin City, Fingal County, South Dublin County and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils), NAMA and other agencies. Its remit includes monitoring relevant housing data on the supply of viable and market-ready approved developments.
In that regard, in its report for Quarter 3 2016, the Taskforce reports that there are some 5,500 homes under construction in Dublin, with permissions in place for a further 23,700 homes on which construction has not yet commenced. The full report can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/construction-2020-strategy/dublin-housing-supply-task-force/housing-supply-coordination-1.
A suite of actions is being implemented under Rebuilding Ireland, building on actions already underway, to make residential property delivery viable, at a far greater scale and at more generally affordable prices and rents. A copy of Rebuilding Ireland can be accessed at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/install/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Rebuilding-Ireland_Action-Plan.pdf.
Under Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland, “Build More Homes”, I have identified twenty three Major Urban Housing Development Sites with the potential to deliver up to 30,000 additional homes, 20,000 of which will be in Dublin, on existing zoned lands and close to the key areas of demand, over the next three to four years. These sites will be highlighted as exemplars for the co-ordination and delivery of plan-led housing development and active land management.
Full details of these sites can be accessed at the following link: http://www.rebuildingireland.ie/RebuildingIreland-Pillar3PressRelease.pdf.
In order to get these and other key sites activated quickly, a €200 million Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) has been established. Twenty-one local authorities, including the Dublin local authorities, working in conjunction with housing providers, submitted proposals for funding which are currently being evaluated. Successful bid proposals will be announced shortly.
Separately, the NTMA and ISIF are currently exploring opportunities to support the delivery of housing-related on-site enabling infrastructure in large-scale priority development areas with a view to kick starting the development process.
Providing affordable, quality and accessible housing is a top priority for the Government. Under the aegis of the Cabinet Committee on Housing, chaired by An Taoiseach, the Government and I will be keeping the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland under careful review. The First Quarterly Progress Report, for Quarter 3 2016, was published in November 2016, and is available to view and download at: http://rebuildingireland.ie/First-Progress-Report.pdf. The Second Quarterly Progress Report, for Quarter 4 2016, will be published shortly.
While we were working from a low base, with only 12,666 housing completions in 2015, the output trends are positive and upward, with completions reaching circa 15,000 homes for 2016. All stakeholders now need to build on these early gains to further accelerate output to meet the target of at least 25,000 homes per annum by 2021, in order to achieve moderated rents and house prices, with the consequential benefits a sustainable housing system will bring for any FDI opportunities that may arise post-Brexit.
