Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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362. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the policy of allowing local authorities to purchase houses on the private market for use as social housing will continue; his views on whether the policy is limiting the amount of houses available for purchase generally by new home owners and is driving them out of the market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19047/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The acquisition of properties on the private market for use as social housing has been an important delivery channel, focusing on priority situations, with local authorities seeking to ensure that they do not interfere unduly with the local private market and secure good value for money to meet local housing needs.

The Programme for Government commits to increase our social housing stock by over 50,000 over the next five years, the majority of this new stock will be built by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and State agencies. Therefore, construction programmes will increasingly be the priority moving forward.