Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 June 2019

Thursday, 13 June 2019

Ceisteanna (241, 242, 243)

Darragh O'Brien

Ceist:

241. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the timeframe for the delivery of affordable units under the local infrastructure housing activation fund; the location of the units on a local authority basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24817/19]

Darragh O'Brien

Ceist:

242. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the estimated average price reduction per unit for units provided under the local infrastructure housing activation fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24818/19]

Darragh O'Brien

Ceist:

243. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the drawdown of funding under LIHAF to date by project; the number of units delivered per project to date; the number projected per project; the number of affordable units to be provided per project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24819/19]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 to 243, inclusive, together.

As a key initiative of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is primarily designed to fund the provision of public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages and enable housing developments to be built on key sites at scale.

In respect of the delivery of affordable housing, this is being delivered through a range of mechanisms, including the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF); direct delivery from State land supported by the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF); and delivery by the Land Development Agency.

LIHAF, while not put in place as an Affordable Housing Scheme within the normal understanding of that term, is a measure designed to activate housing supply, which is a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices and thereby improving affordability generally. In addition, a specific affordability dividend is being secured on most projects, either through local affordable housing schemes administered by the local authorities under the LIHAF Programme, or LIHAF cost reduced units. 2,300 affordable homes will be delivered on mainly publicly owned lands supported through LIHAF, subject to planning permission, along with an additional 5,686 homes which will benefit from a LIHAF-related cost reduction, some of which are already coming to market.

Details on all of the LIHAF projects by local authority area, budget allocation, project timeframe and description, and housing delivery have been published on the Rebuilding Ireland website and are available at the following link: www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF.

In terms of LIHAF funding drawdown, thus far, most projects have been at the design and planning stages, with the bulk of expenditure arising during the construction phase, and this is reflected in the level of expenditure to date. As more projects progress further through construction/completion of infrastructure works it is expected that the drawdown will increase significantly during the rest of 2019 and 2020.

The following tables give details of LIHAF drawndown to end Q1 2019 and delivery of projects including affordable units and cost reduced units which are part of the affordable measures being delivered through LIHAF. Further drawdown of funds is envisaged in the coming weeks once Q2 2019 claims are submitted by local authorities.

Local Authority	Project Name	Residential Units Delivered to Date	Cost Reduced/ Affordable LIHAF Units
Cork County	Carrigaline	100	0
Fingal	Oldtown/ Mooretown	144	144 cost reduced
Kildare	Naas	163	150 cost reduced
Meath	Ratoath	82	10 Affordable Units
South Dublin	Adamstown SDZ	325	325 cost reduced

Local Authority	LIHAF Project name	Total funding under LIHAF€M	Drawdown of LIHAF funding to end Q1 2019	Total Projected housing units to be delivered by 2021	Projected Number of Affordable Housing units	Projected Number of Cost Reduced Housing Units
Clare	Claureen, Ennis	3.66	86,009	200	0	180
Cork City	Old Whitechurch Road	9.89	3,308,511	600	216	0
Cork City	South Docks	15.50	564,225	620	40	0
Cork County	Midleton (Water-rock)	5.50	288,804	520	0	202
Cork County	Carrigaline	0.60	60,624	400	0	0
Cork County	Glanmire	5.90	156,778	300	0	110
Dublin City	Dodder Bridge	15.75	126,464	1500	450	0
Dublin City	Belmayne Clongriffin	3.00	93,583	850	120	270
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown	Cherrywood	15.19	333,504	2000	300	0
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown	Clay Farm	4.70	0	350	0	50
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown	Woodbrook Shanganagh	4.16	0	1242	390	0
Fingal	Donabate Distributor Road	14.16	6,817,680	1200	40	900
Fingal	Oldtown Mooretown	4.90	302,035	800	0	720
Fingal	Baldoyle Stapolin	6.18	274,561	500	0	450
Kildare	Sallins	0.93	654,584	250	0	0
Kildare	Naas	6.00	237,563	800	0	658
Kildare	Maynooth	14.50	205,541	800	0	720
Kilkenny	Ferrybank	0.62	18,626	200	0	0
Kilkenny	Western Environs	6.76	378,827	530	0	423
Limerick	Mungret	10.50	1,168,859	401	60	179
Louth	Newtown Drogheda	1.22	44,867	200	0	180
Louth	Mount Avenue Dundalk	3.33	46,854	212	0	63
Meath	Ratoath	3.15	151,596	266	0	20
Meath	Farganstown, Navan	5.68	292,456	400	0	75
South Dublin	Adamstown	20.00	50,290	2000	600	0
South Dublin	Kilcarbery / Corkagh Grange	4.39	226,345	1000	84	0
South Dublin	Clonburris SDZ	3.00	10,681	1000	0	0
Waterford City and County Council	Gracedieu	1.32	52,234	238	0	126
Waterford City and County Council	Kilbarry	3.39	94,590	400	0	360
Westmeath	Brawny Road, Athlone	1.83	52,500	200	0	0
Totals		195.71	16,099,189	19979	2300	5686

Figures are projected from information submitted by Local Authorities and may be subject to change as sites move through the planning process.