Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 December 2017
26. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if a policy of using public land to build public housing as opposed to private development on public land will be supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52258/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises the serious challenge we face in terms of housing which is why increasing and accelerating housing delivery to meet demand across the full spectrum of housing needs is at the heart of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan.
In terms of producing more homes, building more social housing homes on the State’s housing land bank is crucial. That is why, to help meet the needs of households in the lowest income brackets, I am prioritising the social housing build programme, with an investment of over €6bn committed under Rebuilding Ireland, to increase the overall delivery to 50,000 new social homes by 2021. Qualifying households can also avail of other housing supports such as the Housing Assistance Payments and Rental Assistance schemes and other targeted programmes.
More generally, it is crucial that the State's housing land bank is developed as soon as possible. To this end, 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 these lands having the potential to deliver 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. All of the mapped sites can be viewed at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/ .
Two major sites in Dublin at Kilcarberry near Clondalkin and O'Devaney Gardens off Infirmary Road in the city centre, encompassing the construction of some 1,500 new homes, are already well advanced through the procurement process. The final development model, including the tenure mix, was the subject of careful consideration by the local authorities concerned, including by their elected members. Importantly, 30% of the homes built on both these sites will be for social housing purposes, with a further 20% of the yield in O'Devaney Gardens earmarked for affordable housing.
Mixed-tenure developments are an important policy objective in Rebuilding Ireland and uphold the principle of sustainable mixed communities, where housing needs are not subject to rigid segregation based on income levels. They also provide an opportunity to see major sites developed more quickly, and integrated into existing communities and areas.
Recognising the need for more affordable housing, as an immediate additional measure, I am providing funding of €25 million, over 2018 and 2019, to unlock local authority-owned lands specifically for affordable housing. It is estimated that over 650 new affordable homes could be facilitated under this Scheme.
In the context of his new role in driving and co-ordinating housing delivery, my colleague Minister of State Damian English will chair the State Land Management Group which will reconvene early in the New Year to, inter alia, oversee delivery of housing from the State land bank. In this regard, my Department will also continue to engage with other Government Departments and State and semi-State bodies to pursue the long-term optimal use of appropriate sites for residential purposes.
I expect further local authority sites to be brought forward for development, as local authorities finalise their Strategic Development and Management Plans for their housing lands, with particular emphasis on prioritising those sites with the most potential to deliver housing at scale, in the short to medium term, including mixed-tenure projects, where appropriate.
