Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 March 2018
647. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of his Department's steps to address the classification of approved housing bodies as part of general Government expenditure; the timeframe for actions in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14136/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the decision in December 2017 by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to reclassify 14 of the 16 largest Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) examined as falling within the public sector, EUROSTAT confirmed its agreement with the decision earlier this month.
Notwithstanding the decision by the CSO, the Government still sees a central role for the voluntary housing sector in contributing to delivery of social housing under Rebuilding Ireland and intends to press ahead with the ambitious plans to use all mechanisms and schemes, including through the AHB sector, to ensure that we maintain our planned momentum towards meeting the 50,000 Rebuilding Ireland social housing target.
Further work is being undertaken to fully assess the implications of the reclassification decision, primarily through engagement between my Department, and the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, with technical support provided by the Housing Finance Agency and the Housing Agency.
The assessment will involve developing a more accurate understanding of the retrospective and prospective fiscal implications of the AHB reclassification, identifying further measures that can be taken in mitigation of the impact of the decision from a Government accounting perspective, and ways to support the AHB sector to deliver on its Rebuilding Ireland targets.
