Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 July 2020
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the degree to which he has examined the prospect of engaging major building firms to build on contracts for local authority houses on public lands at a specified price per unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17921/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by over 50,000 over the next five-years, with an emphasis on new builds. The construction of new social homes on local authority sites involves the design of the housing being undertaken either by the local authority itself, or by an externally recruited design team working under the local authority's direction. Once designed, the delivery of the housing is then tendered and contracted to building firms.
The process of tendering publicly funded construction projects is managed in line with public procurement arrangements. The precise type and size of the building firms that can tender and win public contracts, cannot be predetermined. Local authorities apply due diligence in selecting the winning tenderer, including being satisfied that the project can be implemented successfully.
The Programme for Government commits to working with the construction sector to ensure the number of new build homes continues to grow to deliver on the ambitious housing programme. The process of local authority-led designs and building firms being contracted via public tendering arrangements, will play a vital part in delivering on this ambition.
In addition to local authority designed projects on their own sites, local authorities and AHBs have also worked successfully with the construction sector and with major building firms in getting delivery of new social homes through turnkey solutions. In many cases, the developments being supported through these turnkey arrangements would not go ahead without the certainty of the end purchaser and they are particularly beneficial where local authorities have limited or no lands available for housing in an area.
