Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2019
759. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of new social and affordable homes constructed in the Dublin 1, 7 and 11 areas (details supplied) in the past five years in tabular form. [6832/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra760. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of new social and affordable homes that will be constructed in the Dublin 1, 7 and 11 areas (details supplied) over the next five years in tabular form. [6833/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 759 and 760 together.
Social housing delivery data is available on a local authority basis but not by Dublin postal code. Details in relation to social housing delivery for the last five years to end Q3 2018 is available on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
Details in relation to targets on a local authority basis for 2018 and 2018-2021 can be accessed on the Rebuilding Ireland website at: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-delivery-targets-for-local-authorities-2018-2021/ .
Targets are reviewed annually and, following Budget 2019, the number of social housing homes to be delivered in 2019 under Rebuilding Ireland is as follows:
|
Rebuilding Ireland Targets |
2019 |
|
New build |
4,982 |
|
Part V |
1,260 |
|
Voids |
303 |
|
Total: Build |
6,545 |
|
Acquisition |
1,325 |
|
Lease |
2,130 |
|
Total: Build, Acquisition and Lease |
10,000 |
|
Rental Accommodation Scheme |
600 |
|
Housing Assistance Payment |
16,760 |
|
Total |
27,360 |
The breakdown of the 2019 targets by local authority is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.
A number of different schemes operated under the broad term ‘affordable’ in the period to 2012, prior to being stood down. Data relating to activity under the various schemes (the Part V Scheme, the Shared Ownership Scheme, the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme and the Mortgage Allowance Scheme) is available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics.
In order to underpin progress in the area of affordable housing, I commenced Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 on 18 June 2018, the effect of which is to place affordable dwelling purchase arrangements on a statutory footing.
The primary legislation will be supported by associated regulations, which are currently at the final legal drafting stage, following extensive consultation between my Department, the Housing Agency and local authorities. The regulations, once finalised shortly, together with guidance, will be issued to local authorities.
The Scheme is based on local authorities providing, directly or indirectly, below market price housing. The local authority takes a charge against the property equal to the discount provided. The Act provides for a charge up to a maximum of 40% of the market value. The charge is fully repayable at re-sale or at the end of the charge period. Repayments will be paid into a centralised Affordable Housing Fund which will be administered by the Housing Finance Agency.
In order to support local authorities in delivering affordable homes, €310 million is being made available from 2019 until 2021 under the Serviced Site Fund (SSF). The SSF will fund facilitating infrastructure on local authority sites. At a maximum funding rate of €50,000 per affordable home, at least 6,200 affordable homes will be facilitated.
On foot of the first call for SSF proposals which issued to local authorities in Dublin, the Greater Dublin Area, Cork and Galway City, approval was issued in December 2018 for ten projects at a cost of €43m, which will support the delivery of some 1,400 affordable homes. Infrastructure works on these projects will begin as soon as possible and delivery of affordable homes is anticipated from early 2020 onwards.
A second call for proposals will issue to local authorities shortly. In order to inform that process, all local authorities wishing to be considered for funding have been asked to submit economic assessments of the requirement and potential to deliver affordable homes from their sites.
The Government is also committed to the introduction of a not-for-profit, cost rental sector in Ireland. Together with delivering more affordable and predictable rents, cost rental will make a sustainable impact on national competitiveness and the attractiveness of our main urban centres as places to live and work.
There are currently two cost rental projects at Enniskerry Road in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and St. Michael’s Estate in Inchicore, which will deliver 50 and 330 cost rental homes respectively. The experience on these projects will inform a national cost rental framework under which similar projects will be rolled out on a wider scale. My Department is engaged with the National Development Finance Agency, the European Investment Bank and the Land Development Agency to develop the optimum funding and delivery mechanisms to support cost rental delivery at scale in Dublin and other urban areas.
The Government, through Rebuilding Ireland, remains fully focused on increasing supply, and the latest CSO report on housing completions, to end 2018, shows significant progress in this regard. The CSO report can be accessed at: https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/ndc/newdwellingcompletionsq42018/.
