Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1617. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to set out the criteria used by his Department and local authorities to determine if applicants for the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF, required the funding from a project activation point of view; and if some of the projects awarded funding in the final 30 contracts would have proceeded in a similar timeframe without LIHAF funding. [16459/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objective of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is to provide public off-site enabling infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to activate key development sites to bring forward housing quickly. The infrastructure will be built by Local Authorities and will be for the use of the general public.
All proposals for funding under LIHAF were evaluated and assessed in line with the criteria set out in Appendix 1 to the original Call for Proposals. These criteria were: Project Proposal and Link to Housing Delivery; Innovation and Collaboration; Strategic Fit; Financial Package and Prudence; and Delivery. The detailed criteria are available at www.rebuildingireland.ie/lihaf/.
In relation to the 30 approved projects, they have been approved for funding on the basis that the public infrastructure being provided will ensure that the delivery of housing on the associated development sites will be activated and accelerated.
When the proposals were submitted, the local authorities advised that there was a significant infrastructure blockage that would delay the development of housing. I am satisfied that the delivery of housing will, therefore, be significantly accelerated by removal of infrastructure blockages through up-front funding of enabling works as a result of LIHAF funding, particularly in those cases where the Local Authority involvement has contributed to overcoming complex issues such as multiple land ownerships and external access to development sites.
