Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018
1839. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the lands owned by local authorities; the amount of land which is zoned residential in the ownership of each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2108/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn terms of lands owned by local authorities, all local authorities are required to record assets, including all land assets, in the Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet), in accordance with the Local Authority Accounting in Ireland Code of Practice and Accounting Regulations, which is available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/accounting_code_of_practice_january_2017_final.pdf.
The active management of the publicly-owned housing land bank is part of a range of complementary actions being progressed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, designed to accelerate and increase housing output. 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 the potential to deliver some 42,500 homes nationally. These mapped sites can be viewed at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/. Local authorities are also required to confirm and update the data on a quarterly basis to ensure that the information held on this mapping database is fully up to date.
In addition to this mapping exercise, all local authorities have been requested to prepare Strategic Development and Management Plans for housing lands in their ownership, with particular emphasis on prioritising those sites with the greatest potential to deliver housing at scale, in the short to medium term.
In the context of his new role in driving and co-ordinating housing delivery, my colleague Minister of State Damien English will chair the State Land Management and Development Group which will convene in the coming weeks to, inter alia, oversee delivery of housing from the local authority and broader State land bank. In this regard, my Department will continue to engage with local authorities, other Government Departments, and State and semi-State bodies to pursue the long-term optimal use of appropriate sites for residential purposes.
