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Local Authority Housing Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 January 2018

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Ceisteanna (336, 355)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

336. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number and location of serviced or serviceable sites available to Kildare County Council for the building of local authority housing in 2018; when such houses units might be ready for occupation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

355. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the extent to which specific sites have been identified in each local authority area to facilitate an emergency house building programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4967/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 355 together.

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. This includes circa 135 hectares in the functional area of Kildare County Council. These mapped sites can be viewed at the following link:

http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/.

In addition to this mapping exercise, all local authorities, including Kildare County Council, 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. I want to see local authorities realise new social and affordable homes from their lands without delay. Following the Housing Summit with local authority Chief Executives on 22 January, I have asked each Chief Executive to furnish a report to me by mid-February, setting out their plans for delivery.

With regard to the social housing construction programme already underway for County Kildare, this can be seen in the Social Housing Construction Status Reports that my Department publishes quarterly. The last such report reflects the position at end-Quarter 3 of 2017 and is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:

http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/quarter-3-social-housing-construction-status-report/.

This latest report shows projects to deliver over 340 new social homes in Kildare that are either on site, recently completed or undergoing design and planning, with funding approval in place. More projects are being approved on an ongoing basis for delivery as part of the Rebuilding Ireland targets and I have assured all local authorities that funding is in place to support delivery as soon as possible.

The delivery of additional social and affordable housing will rely on the State developing the full potential of its residential land bank. In the context of my Department's role in driving and co-ordinating housing delivery, I am establishing a dedicated Residential Land Management and Development Group to oversee this important work.

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