Proposals for social housing construction projects are assessed by my Department on a case-by-case basis having regard to value for money, compliance with design guidelines and procurement procedures, as well as overall suitability, before funding approval and budgets are issued to local authorities.
The information sought regarding CAS projects in Dublin that were delayed, redesigned or deemed unviable is not readily available as the Departments funding systems do not record delays to originally proposed programmes. Data on programme delays would only be available from the Local Authorities or the AHBs.
An AHB proposing a CAS project will discuss viability with the local authorities (LAs) in terms of the Basic Unit Cost (BUC) Guidelines for construction projects and Acquisition Cost Guidelines (ACG) for the acquisition of 2nd hand properties. These are guide costs that are provided to each LA for different house and apartment types. LAs provide the details of BUCs and ACGs to AHBs active in their area. BUCs and ACGs are not a limit on the funding support available under CAS, however as they are guideline figures, the onus is on an AHB to justify exceeding these costs.
The ACGs and BUCs are reviewed and updated annually by my Department, with the most recent update being issued to all LAs in Q2 2025. ACGs and BUCs are compiled specific to each LA, taking into account differences in urban and rural construction/acquisition costs as well as higher costs unique to specific areas.
