Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2026
573. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual affordable housing delivery targets for each county and local authority in Ireland for the years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028; the rationale behind the allocation of these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21505/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra577. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the mechanisms which are in place to monitor the progress of affordable housing delivery at local authority level; and the way in which performance is evaluated and reported. [21509/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra578. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether demand assessments have been conducted to determine the need for affordable housing in each county/local authority; and the way in which these assessments have influenced target setting. [21510/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra579. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to identify the main challenges or barriers faced by local authorities in delivering affordable housing; and the steps he will take to address these issues. [21511/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 573, 577, 578 and 579 together.
The new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025 – 2030, reinforces and expands the range of existing affordable housing measures being implemented by the Government. In particular, a new Starter Homes Programme, which is a central component of the plan, aims to deliver an average of 15,000 affordable housing supports annually to 2030.
To underpin the delivery of this Starter Homes Programme, the Government is investing an unprecedented level of funding, including a number of important affordability measures, supported by an investment package of direct Exchequer funding, investment through the Land Development Agency (LDA) and lending by the Housing Finance Agency (HFA).
In addition, in order to further drive the required delivery of starter homes under the new plan, local authorities will shortly commence the preparation of new Housing Delivery Action Plans (HDAPs), for review by my Department, setting out how the Starter Homes Programme will be implemented within their area. These HDAPs, replacing those previously drawn up under Housing for All, will be informed by affordable housing need within the local authority area, and will involve collaboration with the delivery partners, including the Land Development Agency, the Approved Housing Bodies and the wider development sector, as applicable.
Local authorities starter homes delivery, as included within their HDAPs, will take account of the nature of the local housing market, as well as identified any existing pockets of local affordable need. In preparing their HDAPs, local authorities should demonstrate an integrated housing and planning approach and also consider how future developments will support balanced mixed tenure communities.
Each local authority will make their HDAPs available on their website, outlining delivery within their area to 2030. In addition, my Department will engage on an individual basis with each local authority to provide support and track delivery over the lifetime of the plan.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis, tracking affordable housing delivery activity by local authorities and other delivery partners. This is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/6060e-overall-social-housing-provision/
