Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 March 2017
109. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of residential units that will be commenced in 2017 by Waterford City and County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10862/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra113. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the level of funding that has been approved for Waterford City and County Council for the construction of houses in 2017 in respect of specific housing schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10866/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 113 together.
My Department has put in place a wide range of programmes that are available to all local authorities to generate increased social housing supply, to address specific special needs and to improve the standards and condition of the social housing stock.
Arising from the Social Housing Strategy, targets and provisional funding allocations were notified to each local authority in April 2015 that covered the period out to end 2017. This released €1.5 billion nationally for nearly 23,000 new social housing units to be delivered via a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes. Waterford’s target is for the delivery of 760 units to the end of 2017, with a funding allocation of €35 million.
Now, with the increased national targets under Rebuilding Ireland, increased targets beyond 2017 will be set for all local authorities. These will be based on the results of the most recent statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments, published in late 2016, so that delivery and resources can be aligned with the up-to-date, priority housing needs locally. I anticipate these new targets for individual local authorities will be finalised in Q2 2017.
The development and advancement of appropriate targeted proposals under the capital supply programmes is, in the first instance, a matter for Waterford City and County Council. My Department is in regular contact with Waterford City and County Council with a view to facilitating the early advancement and delivery of its proposals, and funding for 2017 will be provided by my Department in line with their progress. Accordingly, rather than a pre-set allocation of funding for this year, the level of funding to be provided to Waterford City and County Council will be directly linked to the scale of delivery they achieve on their approved proposals.
Indeed, it should be noted that my Department has been working closely with all local authorities including Waterford City and County Council to facilitate and accelerate the delivery of social housing. Waterford City and County Council already has a strong pipeline of construction projects in development and is being encouraged by my Department to prepare and submit additional construction proposals to further strengthen that pipeline. Details of the Waterford City and County construction pipeline are available at the following weblink: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-developments/.
