Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 June 2018
259. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the €31 million allocated to the social housing current expenditure programme as outlined in budget 2018; the amount has been spent; the way in which the money has been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27237/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP) supports the delivery of social housing by providing financial support to local authorities for the long term leasing of houses and apartments from private owners, developers, as well as new social housing homes build and acquired by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). Properties made available under the Programme are used to accommodate households from local authority waiting lists and are allocated to tenants in accordance with the relevant local authority’s allocation scheme. My Department recoups the cost of the agreements that are made with private property owners, including AHBs, to the local authorities. Therefore, the Progamme plays a significant role in facilitating local authorities to achieve the range of Build, Acquisition and Leasing social housing delivery targets that have been set for them over the period of Rebuilding Ireland.
The 2018 budgetary provision for the SHCEP is €115 million which represents an increase of €31 million on the 2017 provision. This is expected to fund the ongoing cost of the 10,152 social housing homes secured with support of the Programme at the end of 2017. In addition, a further 4,060 new social housing homes, targeted for delivery across the build, acquisitions and leasing streams in 2018 are to be funded under the Programme.
The amount of funding expended under the SHCEP at end May 2018 was €22 million with the full budget for 2018 expected to be used by year end. My Department is currently gathering delivery data from local authorities for Quarter 1 of 2018 and this will be published on my Department's website as soon as it is available.
