Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
469. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the estimated impact of a hard Brexit on purchasing and-or renting a house in the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19895/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra470. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will conduct a strategic review of the measures needed to meet Brexit demand on housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19896/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 469 and 470 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has adopted a whole-of-Government approach to the challenges and opportunities posed by Brexit led by the Cabinet Committee on Brexit which is chaired by An Taoiseach. In all negotiations, the Government will strive to ensure that the best possible outcomes will be achieved for our citizens, for the economy, for Northern Ireland and for the Common Travel Area.
While the specific impact of Brexit will be determined by the nature of the new relationship between the EU and the UK, the extent that this will affect demand for housing units is subject to some uncertainty, given the range of variables involved. However, 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.
In that regard, the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness contains a suite of responses to address the many interacting structural constraints that have hindered increased supply to date. Under the Plan, a range of actions, such as planning reforms, investment in infrastructure, and land supply initiatives, is being implemented to make residential property delivery viable at a far greater scale and at more generally affordable prices and rents. A copy of Rebuilding Ireland and reports on progress to date under the Plan can be accessed at the following link http://rebuildingireland.ie/.
With regard to ensuring sufficient supply 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 Task Force which was established to address supply-related issues to the delivery of homes in the Dublin region. The Task Force comprises representatives from my Department, the Chief Executives of the four Dublin local authorities, NAMA, and other agencies. Its remit includes monitoring relevant housing data on the supply of viable and market-ready approved developments in the region.
In that regard, in its report for Quarter 4 2016, the Taskforce reports a total of 144 active residential development construction sites across Dublin, which will deliver some 5,200 homes. The full report can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/housing_supply_coordination_task_force_returns_q4_2016.pdf.
Furthermore, under Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland, entitled “Building More Homes”, I have identified 23 Major Urban Housing Development Sites (MUHDS) 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 addition, to relieve critical infrastructural blockages, to enable the accelerated delivery of housing on these and other key sites, I established the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). On 28 March 2017, I announced funding for 34 projects under the LIHAF. The cost of these projects is €226.46 million, €112.72 million of which has been allocated to 12 projects across the 4 Dublin local authorities. These projects are expected to enable delivery of approximately 13,500 homes in Dublin by 2021, with the potential to provide around 37,500 homes in the longer term, with a strong focus on affordability. The overall increase in supply should also help ease the pressure on rented accommodation. Further details in relation to these LIHAF projects can be found at http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/local-infrastructure-housing-activation-fund-announced/.
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.
In addition, an important policy intervention in the delivery of new housing supply under Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland is the development of State-owned lands for mixed-tenure housing, particularly in the major urban areas, where demand is greatest. Last week, I published details of some 2,000 hectares of land in public ownership, which has the potential to deliver up to 50,000 homes nationally. Some 350 hectares of this land is located in the Dublin region. Full details of these sites can be accessed on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/.
I have asked all local authorities to be innovative and proactive in developing these sites. The final model for each site will be the subject of careful consideration by the local authority concerned, the elected members included, who are best placed to know and provide for the housing need in their area. Indeed, the Dublin local authorities are well advanced in bringing large-scale sites forward for mixed tenure housing, with projects advertised that can deliver around 3,000 mixed tenure homes in the Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council areas alone.
The Government is focused on ensuring that the unique circumstances of Ireland and its particular concerns arising from Brexit continue to be understood and addressed. A Brexit co-ordinator has been appointed in my Department to support the management of any impacts of Brexit on the business of my Department and to liaise with the Departments of An Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs and Trade.
I continue to work with all stakeholders and delivery agents to build on the progress achieved to date under the Rebuilding Ireland programme, to further accelerate output in order to achieve moderated rents and house prices, and will continue to keep the potential housing-related impacts of Brexit under ongoing review according as the Brexit negotiations progress over the next 2 years.
