Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 March 2017
207. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the total number of local authority houses directly under construction in counties Sligo and Leitrim by the local authorities at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14965/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA substantial pipeline of new social housing construction projects is already in place both in terms of local authority direct build and approved housing body projects. We are now seeing progress through this pipeline, as is evident in the Social Housing Construction Projects Status Report, which I published on 20 February 2017.
The report contains a range of information, including projects delivered in 2016 and those at various stages of advancement through planning, design and construction. It also includes information such as local authority area, project name, AHB name where applicable, the number of units and the status of each application in terms of its current level of advancement. The report can be accessed at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-developments/.
I expect that a number of the projects listed for Sligo and Leitrim County Councils will be completed in 2017 and others will commence on site during the year, as well as in subsequent years; the precise timing for the advancement of each of these projects is a matter for the Councils, in the first instance.
Further project approvals are being added to the published list as they are developed by both Sligo and Leitrim County Councils and other local authorities. For example, in February 2017, I approved a 20-house development at Carrick-on-Shannon at an estimated cost of €4m. I am keen that all local authorities advance their social housing projects as speedily as possible and I have assured them that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.
