Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
1028. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of submissions made to his Department from each local authority as part of the recently announced affordable purchase scheme; the number of affordable housing units these submissions claim to provide in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12179/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1029. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if Wicklow County Council has submitted proposals as part of the affordable purchase scheme; the number of units that are expected to be delivered as part of that submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12180/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1030. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the approved housing bodies that have been approved to facilitate the affordable purchase scheme; the number of units they will provide under the scheme in 2018 and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12181/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1028 to 1030, inclusive, together.
The delivery of more affordable homes, to buy or rent, is a major priority for Government, focusing in particular on the cities of Dublin, Galway and Cork, where people are facing the greatest affordability challenge. Increased delivery of homes at more affordable prices will involve local authorities developing their own residential land bank, comprising some 1,700 hectares, to its full potential. Where appropriate, it will include local authorities working with approved housing bodies and realising a mix of tenures from these lands, including affordable purchase and/or cost rental. Recognising that there are enabling infrastructure requirements on some sites, I am also providing Exchequer funding of €25 million, over 2018 and 2019, as a key contribution towards the delivery of more affordable housing.
Following the Housing Summit with local authority Chief Executives in January, I have asked local authorities to submit their plans to develop their land bank for social and wider housing development, including an outline of their respective proposed affordable housing programmes. As of 14 March, 29 local authorities, including Wicklow County Council, have submitted returns and my Department is currently working through these and engaging bi-laterally with local authorities on their plans.
Once all local authorities have submitted their plans, and once these have been assessed and collated, we will be in a better position to understand the more granular and localised targets for affordable housing. In overall terms, from initial estimates, I expect that in the region of 3,000 new affordable homes can be made available through a range of schemes and initiatives, with the long-term ambition for some 10,000 additional affordable homes to be provided for sale or rent, as the initiatives are rolled out.
