Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2017
119. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of new build local authority homes, excluding voids and Part Vs, completed in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9046/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra121. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of new social housing units acquired via Part V in 2016; the number bought by councils or housing associations; the number that were leased; his views on the relative long and short term cost benefits of leasing and purchasing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9048/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Question Nos. 119 and 121 together.
Under my Department’s Social Housing Capital Investment and Social Housing Current Expenditure Programmes, funding is provided to local authorities to deliver additional social housing stock through new construction projects and through the acquisition of new and previously owned houses/apartments. Details on the number of properties constructed and purchased by all local authorities for letting to those on their social housing waiting lists are available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Details on the number of units delivered under Part V arrangements are also available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics. Information on the full year of 2016 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly; provisional data published as part of the Q4 2016, Rebuilding Ireland Progress Report indicated that 640 social housing units were built in 2016.
While the construction programme has been advancing, it has made sense that local authorities take opportunities to acquire housing where there is a social housing need and where good value for money can be obtained and I am satisfied that they are deploying options to both buy and build new social housing in a balanced way. It is important that they utilise all opportunities to develop new social housing but the mix will increasingly switch towards construction on foot of the substantial pipeline of projects now in place. I continue to keep all of the social housing delivery mechanisms under review to ensure that they remain relevant and are meeting housing needs in a cost effective and value-for-money way.
