Recommencing the Affordable Purchase Scheme

QUESTION

* To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the estimated first and full year cost of recommencing the 1999 affordable purchase scheme stood down in 2011.

* To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the amount spent on the affordable housing initiative through site grants and other departmental funding per annum since its inception from 1999 until its disestablishment; the number of units provided per annum through that period in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

* To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the amount spent on the low cost housing sites initiative through site grants per annum since its inception from 1999 until its disestablishment; the number of sites provided per annum through that period in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

Data relating to activity under the Sale of Sites Scheme are available on my Department's website at the following web-link:

http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics.

Data concerning activity under the Part V Scheme, the Shared Ownership Scheme, the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme and the Mortgage Allowance Scheme are also available on my Department's website and can be accessed at the following web-link:

http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-and-part-v-statistics.

Information regarding Exchequer funding for affordable housing is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.

I have commenced the relevant provisions of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, the effect of which is to place a new scheme for affordable purchase on a statutory footing.  It is intended that the income thresholds will be the same as for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan, and other criteria will be set out in regulations. The elected members of each local authority will be responsible for determining the order of priority to be accorded to eligible households, in line with the framework of the national scheme.

To support the main local authorities concerned in getting their sites ready for affordable housing, I am redirecting the €50 million funding for phase 2 of the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund to the Serviced Sites Fund, increasing the scale of the fund from the previously announced €25 million to €75 million, to cover the period to 2021. To drive activity, I will be inviting applications for funding under the Serviced Sites Fund later this week.