Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 July 2018
756. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of persons working in the housing delivery office by grades and profession; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32366/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the time of its establishment in August 2016, the Housing Delivery Office (HDO) comprised a team of 4 people including staff seconded from the local government sector and the National Development Finance Agency. Having carried out a range of initial initiatives, and taking account of the fact that some assignments to the office were time-limited, the HDO was refocused in September 2017 to work more closely on supporting local housing delivery and land management.
To this end the Housing Delivery Office is currently staffed by three officials; two civil servants at Assistant Principal Officer grade and one officer at the grade of Director of Services, who is currently on secondment to my Department from the local authority sector.
These officials work closely with the extensive range of highly experienced officers within the wider housing and planning areas of my Department and local authorities, across key disciplines such as architecture, planning, engineering and building control, project and construction management, quantity surveying, capital programme delivery and administration.
As with all critical areas of activity in my Department, the resources available to the HDO are kept under regular review in the context of ongoing evolution of the Office's role and, in that context, I expect additional resources to be assigned to the Office in the coming months.
