Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 November 2017
538. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 618 of 21 November 2017, the provision of funds for land acquisition, by local authority; the funds used directly in relation to structures in separate tables, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50820/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the reply to Question No. 618 of 21 November 2017, which set out the funding provided for the provision of social housing by local authorities and approved housing bodies over the period 2007 to 2017.
In respect of the provision of funding by my Department for land acquisition, the land costs associated with the delivery of social housing construction projects are encompassed within each individual project's overall budgetary cost. My Department recoups the cost of the land to the local authority once the land in question is utilised for the purposes of a social housing construction project.
The data in respect of funding for land costs for each social housing construction project on a local authority basis over the period 2007 to 2017 is not readily available and its extraction would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.
However, it should be noted that an approximation of the average land cost per unit of social housing delivered can be established through a comparison of average construction costs per unit and all-in costs per unit. Assuming a weighted average mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed units, the average construction cost per unit would be €160,500 approximately, while the average all-in cost per unit would be approximately €202,000. However, it should be noted that while land costs account for the majority of the difference between the construction and all-in costs figures, the latter also includes other costs such as design team fees, utilities, site investigations, surveys etc.
