Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 October 2017
286. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the extent to which serviced or serviceable lands, zoned or unzoned, have been identified by each of the local authorities in the greater Dublin area to facilitate a rapid build housing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45483/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 27 April 2017, details of some 1,700 hectares of land in local authority and Housing Agency ownership were published on the Rebuilding Ireland Housing Land Map, with the potential to accommodate some 42,500 homes nationally. The map also includes details of some 300 hectares of land in ownership of other State or semi-State bodies, with the potential to deliver a further 7,500 homes.
Details in relation to these sites can be viewed at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/ .
All local authorities have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for residential lands in their ownership to ensure they are brought forward for development at the earliest appropriate opportunity. My Department facilitated a workshop for local authorities in July to commence this process. Once all the plans have been reviewed and finalised, they will be made available publicly, both on the dedicated Rebuilding Ireland website as well as on the website of the relevant local authority.
Utilising Rapid Build and other innovative construction technologies can accelerate housing provision, as timeframes are considerably less than for traditional build. This form of house building is being encouraged for accelerated delivery of social units under my Department's programmes. Faster delivery may also mean the units can be provided at lower cost than traditional build, given that the latter may have significantly greater labour costs over the course of construction. The question of utilising Rapid Build methodologies for housing on local authority sites is, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant local authority in the context of each individual project.
The rapid delivery programme has seen new social homes completed in Dublin at Poppintree, Ballymun (22 homes) and Finglas (39 homes). Other rapid delivery projects are nearing completion, including at Mulhuddart (20), Cherry Orchard, Ballyfermot (24), Mourne Road, Drimnagh (29) and Belcamp (38), a range of other projects are progressing, and a number of further additional projects are in planning, including projects outside Dublin.
I am keen that all local authorities advance their social housing construction programme as speedily as possible, using the optimum delivery mechanism and I have assured them that funding is in place to support their activity in this regard.
