Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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59. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to increase the supply of affordable housing in County Clare. [17639/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing solutions are available to everyone in Irish society and this is reflected in the Programme for Government "Our Shared Future".

Already, under the Serviced Sites Fund, €310 million has been allocated to provide infrastructure to support the delivery of more affordable homes on local authority lands. With a maximum of €50,000 funding available per home, at least 6,200 more affordable homes, to buy or rent, can be facilitated. To date, Serviced Sites Funding of €127 million has been approved in principle in support of 35 projects in 14 local authority areas, which will assist in the delivery of almost 3,200 affordable homes.

All Serviced Sites Fund proposals are assessed on the basis of economic analyses submitted by local authorities, which are required to verify local affordability challenges, project viability, and the ability to deliver affordable homes with at least a 10% discount on open market values.

Clare County Council submitted a project in Ballycasey, Shannon, Co. Clare under the 2^ndServiced Sites Fund call which had the potential to deliver 20 affordable homes. This proposal was categorised a ‘Project of Interest’, meaning it required further development and engagement with the Department.

In terms of affordable housing more generally, I will outline my detailed plans in the autumn, taking account of progress to date under the SSF, other measures and the input of key delivery partners.