Number of staff currently employed by the housing procurement

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government the number of staff currently employed by the housing procurement within his Department; the number employed per annum since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

My Department is not directly involved in housing procurement and as such there are no staff employed in such procurement within the Department. The procurement of housing as social homes is a matter for the Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.

The Housing Delivery Division in my Department supports a significant number of actions under the Government's Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland. This includes Homelessness and Social Inclusion Supports, Traveller Accommodation, Affordability and Cost Rental, the oversight and management of the Social Housing Capital and Current Programmes. The Division is also responsible for implementation and management of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS).

In addition to leading social housing programme delivery, the Division also has responsibility for planning, management and oversight of social housing finance and expenditure as well as an advisory role on Built Environment issues. In this regard, the Division operates an approval process in accordance with the Capital Works Management Framework and the Public Spending Code to ensure quality social housing, value for money and the creation of sustainable communities. Both the Capital Works Management Framework and the Public Spending Code require compliance with EU and national public procurement requirements.

The Division currently has a full-time equivalent staffing complement of 136.99