Update Housing 27th May 2014

To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the extent to which provision can be made to revive the local authority house building programme without impacting negatively on the Government’s balance sheet; if the launch of a specific bond might be considered in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Bernard J. Durkan.

For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 27th May, 2014.

Ref No: 23408/14

REPLY

Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (Ms. J. O’Sullivan)

I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 358 and 359 of 8 April, 2014 which sets out my Department’s position with regard to maximising the delivery of social housing , including by way of bond finance.

Returning vacant and boarded-up local authority dwellings to productive use represents one of the quickest and most cost-effective means of delivering a dditional social housing units. On 17 April I announced the allocation o f €15 million to local authorities with the objective of bring ing back into use some 952 vacant l ocal authority housing units. Under the recently announced stimulus package for the construction sector an additional €50 million is being provided for social housing, including a further    € 20 million to continue the programme of returning vacant stock to productive use and €20 million for new local authority housing construction projects . A further €10 million will fund a special initiative for the immediate acquisition of accommodation for homeless people in the Dublin City area.