Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
25. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable housing units delivered via the Cost-Rental Equity Loan, the Affordable Housing Fund and Project Tosaigh in County Monaghan in 2022, and planned to be delivered in 2023, with a breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit size. [33001/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra56. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the provision of both social and affordable housing in Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32972/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra85. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the delivery of affordable, social and cost rental housing in Dublin 9 and 11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33000/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra93. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the provision of both social and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33117/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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. 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.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity in all local authorities. The most recent data available relates to 2022 delivery and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
With 2022 representing the first full year of delivery under the schemes introduced under the Affordable Housing Act 2021, my Department also publishes progress updates on Affordable Housing Delivery, based on local authority returns, in a similar manner as for social housing. The 2022 progress report on affordable housing provision across all delivery streams has been published on the Department's website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/#affordable-housing-delivery.
Following the publication of Housing for All in September 2021, I asked all local authorities to prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans to address social and, where appropriate, affordable housing needs in their areas over the period 2022-2026, in line with targets set under Housing for All. 18 local authorities, including Dublin City Council and Carlow County Council, were asked to include affordable housing delivery projections in their Plans, in line with the five-year Affordable Housing delivery targets assigned in March 2022. A copy of each Council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan is available on their individual websites.
Monaghan County Council does not have a specific affordable housing delivery target as the assessed new housing need with affordability constraint is not high and average house price levels in the county are still well below the national median.
Circular 06/2023 issued to all local authorities on 21 February 2023 and provides guidance on preparing an application for Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) assistance for suitable affordable purchase or cost rental schemes in circumstances where localised need with affordability constraint has been identified. No application for AHF assistance has been submitted by Monaghan County Council to date. Further assistance with developing schemes is available from my Department, the Housing Agency and the Housing Delivery Co-ordination Office within the Local Government Management Association.
In addition, the First Home Scheme, which was launched in July 2022, supports first-time buyers in purchasing new houses and apartments in the private market through the use of an equity share model. Full information on the scheme, which is available nationwide, may be found on the dedicated website, www.firsthomescheme.ie.
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, the LDA and other stakeholders to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing.
