Written Answers Nos. 258-262
258. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the focus of the Land Development Agency is not to provide social and affordable housing on public land on a scale to stem the tide of homelessness (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40527/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra260. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the primary purpose of the Land Development Agency is to use prime publicly owned land to generate housing in the private market to meet demand in a growing economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40577/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 260 together.
The recently established Land Development Agency will act as a new commercial State body to actively manage the development of public land in a way that will make a major contribution to tackling the root causes of our current housing issues, including bringing about major new opportunities for additional social and affordable housing on public lands.
The new agency has access to an initial tranche of 8 sites with significant potential to add a further pipeline of public sites that have near term delivery potential for 3,000 new homes and an additional potential for 7,000 new homes. Of this total of 10,000 new homes, 4,000 are intended for delivery as additional social and affordable homes and the balance as additional new supply to meet the high levels of demands in the wider housing sector for housing for both rental and purchase purposes.
The agency has a potentially very significant role to play in not only addressing the pressures in the housing sector in the short to medium term but in the longer-term to enable the urban development objectives of the National Planning Framework to be realised.
In addressing the above, the new agency therefore has two primary objectives:
- To ensure the optimal usage of State lands, coordinating their regeneration and development and opening up key sites not being optimally used, especially for delivery of new homes; and
- To drive strategic land assembly through mechanisms that will bring together both public and private sector interests in ensuring the timely preparation and release of strategic land for development in a counter-cyclical manner. Such counter-cyclical action will be aimed at stabilising any tendency towards volatility in development land values, securing more of the increase in such values as a result of the planning and infrastructure investment processes for the common good and thereby driving increased affordability through better and more cost-competitive land availability.
To support the work of the Land Development Agency, the Government has agreed new policies requiring that a minimum of 30% of public lands coming forward for redevelopment and/or disposal are to be reserved for affordable housing purposes (in addition to the statutory requirement for 10% social housing under the existing Part V provisions).
These new policies will ensure more housing supply at more affordable prices and rents, while at the same time securing the delivery of sustainable and mixed tenure communities in a balanced manner across the various social, affordable and market housing elements of the overall housing sector, all of which require enhanced supply.
259. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will continue to pursue a policy of providing social housing through the HAP and other schemes in preference to using all of the Land Development Agency-acquired public land initially to provide social and affordable housing to stem the flow into homelessness, to house those in hubs and hotels and to reduce the waiting time on housing lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40558/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA three-pronged, targeted approach to affordable housing is being pursued.
Firstly, in terms of affordable housing for purchase, relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 have been commenced, which place the new scheme for affordable purchase on a statutory footing. This Scheme, aimed at households earning low to moderate annual gross incomes up to €50,000 for a single applicant and €75,000 for dual applicants, will be delivered by local authorities developing their sites in key locations. The Scheme will be complementary to other Government Schemes which help first-time buyers to buy a home, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the new Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme.
In order to support local authorities to get their sites ready for affordable housing, I am providing additional funding for enabling infrastructure via the Serviced Sites Fund. This overall minimum investment of €100 million will provide funding for those sites that require infrastructural investment in order for them to be brought into use for affordable housing. The bids received from local authorities under the first call are now being assessed, and I expect to make initial funding awards this month.
Secondly, I am determined that cost rental homes become a major part of our rental landscape in the future, making a sustainable impact on housing affordability, national competitiveness, and the attractiveness of our main urban centres as places to live as well as work. Cost rental is an important component of progressive housing systems around Europe. Two cost rental projects have previously been announced for Emmet Road, Inchicore, and at Enniskerry Road, Dundrum. Learning from these pilot projects, I expect cost rental projects to be rolled out across other suitable sites.
Thirdly, the Government has now launched the Land Development Agency which is aiming to build some 150,000 new homes over the next 20 years. The new Agency has an immediate focus on managing the State’s own lands to develop new homes, with at least 40% of these homes being for social and affordable housing purposes.
Under Rebuilding Ireland, a commitment was made to the delivery of 137,000 social housing supports across build, acquisition and leasing programmes, as well as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) over the 6 year period of the programme. Between Q1 2016 and end Q2 2018, over 57,000 of these solutions have been delivered.
HAP is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. HAP plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At end Q2 2018, there were more than 37,700 households having their housing needs met via HAP and over 21,000 landlords and agents in receipt of HAP payments.
At the end of the 6 year Rebuilding Ireland programme, the aim is to have reached a point where build, acquisition and leasing programmes will be delivering more than HAP and RAS annually, as part of the process to deliver a sustainable and balanced supply of social and affordable housing over the short, medium and longer terms.
261. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40383/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the matter referred to relates to a funding scheme operated by the Arts Council. I have no role in relation to decisions of the Council.
However, the Arts Council also operates an appeals procedure which may be of assistance. Further information is available on the website of the Council at the following link: http://www.artscouncil.ie/Funding/Appeals-process/.
262. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a funding scheme is available for a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40424/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides financial support for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through a number of schemes which are generally administered by local authorities.
While some of the works mentioned by the Deputy may be eligible for heritage funding the best advice for owners, in relation to individual historic structures, is to contact the Architectural Conservation Officer in their local authority who is well placed to provide expert advice and assistance. New buildings and extensions, for example, do not qualify, nor does the installation or renewal of buildings services such as heating and electrical systems or renovation in the redecorating sense. Works to preserve the historic fabric of the building, however, would be eligible for funding. The main schemes funded by my Department in 2018 are as set out below. While the closing date for the 2018 schemes has now passed, my Department remains in contact with local authorities throughout the year to ensure the best use of all funds under the schemes, including the reallocation of funds where, for example, projects do not proceed.
The Structures at Risk Fund (SRF) supports conservation works to heritage structures in both private and public ownership, which are deemed to be at significant risk of deterioration. I have allocated €1.3m this year and 76 projects across the country have been approved for funding under the scheme.
The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) is a scheme for the repair and conservation of protected structures, designed to leverage private capital for investment in small scale conservation projects across the country and to support the employment of skilled conservation professionals and tradespeople. I have allocated funding of €2m nationally for this Scheme in 2018 and 355 projects have been approved for funding.
Details of all of the projects awarded funding under both of these schemes are published on my Department’s website and on local authority websites. Funding schemes for 2019 will be announced in November and, again, the local authority Architectural Conservation Officer is best placed to provide advice and assistance in the first instance.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, also provides grants for the protection and preservation of the built heritage. It is primarily a matter for the Heritage Council to decide how its funding should be allocated across the range of research, education and conservation programmes it supports. Grant schemes are advertised by the Heritage Council on its website www.heritagecouncil.ie.
In terms of future funding, Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage 2018 – 2027 represents a major capital investment scheme of €1.2 billion in funding over the next 10 years, and will include increased investment in protecting and celebrating our built heritage across the country. More details on the commencement and completion dates for projects and programmes, as well as the timing of the expenditure in relation to them, will emerge as we go through the process of appraisal and planning as required under the Public Spending Code.
