Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 October 2017
25. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when infrastructural funding will be available to open up the proposed development road on the Ardmore Road, Mullingar, County Westmeath, to allow for future construction works. [45252/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA call for proposals under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) 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 housing at considerable scale and more affordable price points, 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. On 28 March 2017, I announced funding for 34 of those projects under LIHAF. The total cost of these projects is €226.5 million, of which €169.7 million is to be funded by the Exchequer, with local authorities funding the remaining €56.8 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.
Westmeath County Council submitted two projects for consideration under LIHAF. Funding was approved for an access road in Brawny Road, Athlone in the amount of €1.83m. However, while Ardmore Road, Mullingar was one of a number of proposals that was assessed as meriting funding, it was not possible to include the project in the March 2017 approvals, within the overall level of funding available.
As part of Budget 2018, I announced an additional €50 million funding which will be available for a second call under LIHAF and which will again be subject to matching funding at 25% by local authorities. This will facilitate more infrastructure to unlock further sites and activate more housing supply. A further call for proposals under LIHAF is likely early in 2018 and it will be open to all local authorities, including Westmeath County Council, to submit new projects or resubmit previous projects, such as the Ardmore Road project in Mullingar, for consideration at that time.
