Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2952. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of schemes approved by county since the roll out of the turnkey development scheme; if there are restrictions in the number which can be provided; and if there is a requirement to adhere to social and affordable and private mix in circumstances in which a turnkey development forms part of an existing estate. [33942/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department publishes status reports on a quarterly basis, of all social housing construction schemes for each local authority area under Rebuilding Ireland. The most recent of these reports covers the period up to the end of March 2019, and contains information on the progress of 7,800 new social homes being delivered by local authorities through turnkey arrangements, which are currently approved and progressing through planning, design and construction, as well as homes delivered to end March 2019. This report is available on the Rebuilding Ireland website at the following link:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-murphy-publishes-social-housing-construction-status-report-for-q1-2019/.
As housing authorities, our local authorities are responsible for the identification of the social housing need in their area and for the development of appropriate responses to this need, while supporting sustainable communities. There is no prescribed maximum scale or size for new social housing developments via turnkey arrangements. Turnkeys have been used for social housing developments under previous housing programmes and have been a beneficial vehicle for delivering high quality new social homes, particularly where local authorities may not own land.
In all new housing projects, whether developed by local authorities or approved housing bodies, the scale and approach to the development is dependent on the precise circumstances and location of the project and local authorities are best positioned to assess this, in line with guidance provided by my Department through the publication 'Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities', which is available on my Department's website at the following link: https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrated-files/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad%2C1979%2Cen.pdf.
