Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1582. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to overhaul local government management structures in the four Dublin local authority areas in order to expedite the construction of social and affordable housing. [16038/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for staffing and organisation arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible.
In this regard, the assignment of local authority staff to a particular function is a matter for the Chief Executive. My Department, however, works closely with all local authorities with regard to housing delivery and the implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness, and all local authorities have been invited to submit staffing sanction requests to facilitate its delivery.
The issues of social and affordable housing are already firmly on the Government’s agenda and actively being pursued under a range of actions under Rebuilding Ireland, the implementation of which is well underway and making significant progress. Social Housing Output indicative figures published in January 2018 show that nearly 26,000 households had their social housing need met in 2017. These have now been validated and final figures will be published shortly. Together with the 19,000 social housing supports provided in year 1 of the Plan, this means that just under 45,000 households have had their housing need met by the end of year 2 of the Rebuilding Ireland Plan - that is 33% of those targeted under the Plan.
In relation to the delivery of affordable homes, initial estimates suggest 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.
In relation to the local government structures in place in the four Dublin local authority areas, each of the local authorities concerned are working in a collaborative and co-ordinated manner. I will, of course, keep the matter under review.
