Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 March 2023
231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will indicate given the increasing demand and pressure for housing; the extent, if any, to which he might look at the housing requirements on a county basis with a view to appointing professional builders on contract to the respective local authorities to provide and accelerate a housing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12213/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes and 54,000 affordable homes by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency.
Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes; 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing and 28,500 new affordable homes in the period 2022-2026.
A key action of Housing for All required local authorities to develop a Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of social and affordable housing delivery. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. In preparing the Plans, local authorities were required to include details of land available to deliver housing and details of land acquisition requirements.
The Plans also include details of the locations and delivery streams for social housing schemes. The Plans have been published on local authority websites.
Under my Department’s Social Housing Investment Programme, funding is available to all local authorities to deliver additional social housing stock through direct construction or in partnership with developers through 'turnkey' projects. As such, housing developments are constructed by professional contractors/developers in line with those agreements.
Significant progress is being made to deliver the ambitious targets contained in Housing for All and my Department is working closely with the local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and other stakeholders to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing.
