Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 April 2017
330. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when local infrastructure housing activation funding will be made available for projects in south Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16586/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe aim of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages in order to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in urban areas with high demand for housing.
A call for proposals was issued to all local authorities in August 2016. It was open to all local authorities to apply for funding towards the capital cost of public infrastructure, which when provided, would secure the early delivery of additional affordable housing at considerable scale, with developments in excess of 500 units in the Dublin area, or in excess of 200 units in areas outside Dublin.
21 local authorities submitted a total of 74 proposals in October 2016. Kildare County Council submitted 7 proposals in respect of Naas, Kildare, Maynooth, Newbridge, Celbridge, Leixlip and Sallins.
On 28 March 2017, I announced funding for 34 projects under the LIHAF. The cost of these projects is €226.46 million, of which €169.65 million would be funded under LIHAF with local authorities funding the remaining €56.81 million. These public infrastructure projects will be key to the delivery of 23,000 housing units over the next four years, with a longer term projection of up to 70,000 units as the selected sites are fully built out. Kildare County Council received approval for the proposals at Maynooth, Naas and Sallins.
I am seeking additional funding for LIHAF under the Capital Mid-term Review 2016-2021, but it will be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to consider in the context of other demands for the available funds. In the event that more funds are secured, local authorities will be able to resubmit proposals that did not receive funding or to advance other new proposals that would meet LIHAF objectives.
