1 April 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Fine Gael Senator ColmBurke forCork North Central l has, today (Wednesday) welcomedthe allocation of €224m, for local authority housing in Cork City and Cork County .This is part of a national allocation of funding by Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Paudie Coffey TD, as part of the Government’s €3.8 billion social housing strategy announced last November out to 2020.
“In Cork City and Cork County €224mhas been allocated to the County Council for local authority housing. It is estimated that this funding will meet 46% of the housing need in Cork City and County which will go a long way towards reducing the waiting list. This is not even including the Housing Assistance Payment which will help to further reduce demand on our housing waiting list.
“Along with all local authorities, Cork City Council and Cork County Council was asked to bring forward the housing unit targets and specific building projects it has planned for now to 2017. As part of the strategy, targets had to be agreed with each local authority in 2015.
“In total across the country, over €1.5 billion will be invested in a combination of building, buying and leasing schemes by local authorities designed to accommodate 25% of those currently on the housing waiting lists in social housing.Approximately 300 separate building proposals by local authorities are currently being assessed by the Department of Environment and will be announced in a number of phases starting this month. Construction is already underway for social housing in approximately 33 sites throughout the country.
“In Cork City and Cork County this funding will help to create and sustain approximately 1,639jobs in the construction sector which was so badly affected by the economic crash of recent years. This is a really important part of the Government’s plan to spread job creation and economic recovery to all counties around Ireland so that everyone can feel the benefit.”
