Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025
637. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current number of households on social housing waiting lists in Cork city and Cork county; the average waiting time; and the expected reduction in waiting lists as a result of the increased social housing targets. [63903/25]
View answer665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households on disability-related social housing waiting lists in Cork city and Cork county; the average waiting time; and how the new strategy will reduce these waiting times. [63942/25]
View answer668. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of supported housing units planned for delivery nationally to 2030; the expected annual output; and the specific projects planned for Cork city and Cork county. [63945/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 637, 665 and 668 together.
Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA).
The most recently published summary for all counties, conducted in November 2024, is available on my Department's website, along with all summaries since 2011 at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/.
While the average waiting time per local authority list is not captured, details on the length of time spent on the respective lists of each local authority are included in tables 2.8 and A1.8 in the report.
Table 2.6 and table A1.6 provide a breakdown of any specific accommodation requirements and shows 4,348 households had a specific accommodation requirement due to ‘physical, sensory, mental or intellectual impairment’.
The SSHA 2025 process is currently underway and I expect to publish the summary report before the end of Q1 2026.
My Department does not collate data on the number of wheelchair-accessible and fully-adapted social housing units delivered. Such information may be obtained from individual local authorities.
Details on the number of households given medical priority is not available, decisions on the awarding of medical priority, and the allocation of that support, are a matter solely for the local authority concerned, in accordance with their allocation schemes made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations.
Efforts to reduce social housing waiting lists will centre on significantly increasing the supply of new social homes and ensuring that these homes are targeted to meet the specific needs identified for households. Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 commits to delivering an average of 12,000 new social homes per annum, building on the substantial progress made between July 2020 and the end of 2024, when more than 48,000 social homes were added to the stock. This level of delivery, supported by build, acquisition and leasing, marks some of the highest outputs on record.
Demand for social housing is expected to remain strong as the population grows and ages, and changing demographics will increase the need for targeted provision. To meet this need and work towards eliminating long term homelessness, the Government is committed to the fact that new delivery must continue to rise. The new Plan seeks to scale up delivery further, reaching up to 72,000 new social homes in the period 2025 to 2030, an ambition that will require the support of local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency; as well as their need to expand their respective build programmes.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme-level statistics on a quarterly basis on social and affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) in each local authority. This data is available to the end of Q2 2025 and is published at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
Under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) up to 100% Capital funding is provided to AHBs to provide new social homes for priority categories to include homeless, disability and age friendly housing. Data on CAS units is available to the end of Q2 2025 and is published at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/.
My Department publishes the Social Housing Construction Status Report (CSR), on a quarterly basis. The CSR provides details of social housing developments and their location that have been completed, are under construction or are progressing through the various stages of the design and tender processes.
The most recent publication was for Quarter 2 2025. All CSRs are available at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/cb885-social-housing-construction-projects-status-reports/.
