€226m fund to facilitate building of 23,000 new homes
Housing Minister Simon Coveney announced details of the Rebuilding Ireland plan, which will see 15 local authorities receive monies under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund, with the option of extending more to other councils down the line.
Mr Coveney said councils which do not stick to agreed targets would have monies removed.
“There will be consequences if they are not delivering,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
Cabinet colleague and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said more funds might be considered but only after the scheme is evaluated after the first year.
Up to €800m had been applied for by local authorities, the ministers revealed.
The funds will be made available to build infrastructure such as bridges, roads, roundabouts, and overhead electricity lines, as well as water services and sewerage works.
Project costs will be shared on a three to one basis between the exchequer and local authorities.
A breakdown of the figures shows Dublin City will receive funding of €18.7m; Dun Laoghaire will get €40m; Fingal €26m; Cork City €25.4m; Cork County €20.4m; Kildare €21.5m; Kilkenny €7.3m; and Limerick €15m.
In Dublin City, the building of certain infrastructure would help the construction of some 2,880 homes, while in Dun Laoghaire, 5,000 would be built over four years.
In Cork City, €15.5m has been allocated for road upgrades in the south docks to deliver 700 houses by 2021, with 600 units planned for a site on the old Whitechurch Rd.
In Co Cork, over €20m has been allocated to deliver more than 1,700 housing units in Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Glanmire, and Midleton by the same date.
Most of the construction of the homes will be done by private developers, who have complained about infrastructure delays.
A number of the home-build commitments, though, also relate to public sites or local authority housing, said the Department of the Environment.
Responding to the plan and writing in today’s Irish Examiner, Sinn Féin housing spokesman and Dublin Mid West TD Eoin Ó Broin said there is “no guarantee of affordability” for homeowners with the scheme.
More details on specific sites and areas around the country which will get millions of euro to build bridges, roads, and works can be found on www.housing.gov.ie
However, a number of local authorities and councils will be disappointed after not getting funds. These include Galway, Sligo, Donegal, and Wicklow, among other areas.
A total of 74 proposals from 21 local authorities were received, valued at a total of around €800m, it was announced.
A total of €113m will be provided to the four Dublin local authorities and a further €45.8m is going to Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
The promised infrastructure, which is detailed for each area, must be built between 2017 and 2019.
Local authorities that fail to meet targets will have their funding pulled and given to other councils who may have missed out on the infrastructure fund.
