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Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund Announced

Housing Minister Simon Coveney  and Public Expenditure & Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe today announced approval for 34 public infrastructure projects across 15 Local Authority areas. This represents the culmination of a commitment originally made in the Programme for Government to address significant public infrastructure deficits, where the lack of enabling and accessing infrastructure has been hindering the early development of housing.

Speaking at the Government Press Centre in Dublin today Minister Coveney said:

Minister Donohoe and I announced last July that we would not only put this fund in place in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, but that we would double the original commitment from €100 million to €200 million, with €150 million of funding from the Exchequer and the other €50 million to come from Local Authorities.

I fully expect that the announcement today will lead to the delivery of 23,000 housing units by 2021 and an overall figure of over 69,000 housing units in the next ten to fifteen years in areas where the shortage of supply is critical.

I am seeking additional funding for LIHAF under the Capital Review 2016-2021. In the event that we secure more funds, local authorities will be able to re-submit proposals that did not receive funding or more importantly advance other new proposals that would meet the evolving LIHAF objectives and we will keep working towards making these proposals happen.

Minister Donohoe said:

Housing is one of the critical challenges facing our country. That is why I agreed to provide an additional €2.2 billion in funding for social housing under Rebuilding Ireland which amounts to 40% of the available additional capital investment to 2021. Through the work undertaken, we are now making progress in recalibrating a sector that has faced enormous challenges in recent years. We are also making progress in delivering housing for those who need it.

Today’s announcement of the LIHAF projects signals what can be achieved from a  collaborative approach involving local authorities, public bodies and housing providers working together to maximize the impact on housing development and delivery from the focussed use of available public funds.  I am convinced that, where we can demonstrate that measures like LIHAF are having the desired effects, the Government will continue to support excellence in planning, investment co-ordination, and delivery of the places people want and need to live in.