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For Written Answer on : 22/06/2021
Question Number(s): 311 Question Reference(s): 33170/21
Department: Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION


To ask the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage the amount per project made available and drawn down under the local infrastructure housing fund to date; the number of residences projected per project; the number of affordable residences per project to be provided; the number of residences finalised by project to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

REPLY

The Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) was designed to support housing supply by relieving critical infrastructure blockages. 30 projects were approved with an overall budget of €195.7m, €146.8m Exchequer funded and the remainder funded by local authorities.  Details of the approvals by local authority area, budget allocation, project description and projected housing delivery are available at www.rebuildingireland.ie/LIHAF.

Of the 30 projects, 2 projects will not proceed. Kildare County Council has confirmed that the Naas Inner Relief Road will not progress and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has confirmed that the Clay Farm project will now not proceed. One further project, Clonburris in South Dublin County Council, will not avail of LIHAF funding but will proceed in conjunction with funding from the Urban Renewal Development Fund.

Currently, 7 LIHAF projects have completed infrastructure construction. Of the remaining 20, as of 22 June (and excluding the Naas, Clay Farm and Clonburris projects), 10 projects have been approved to go to, or are already at, infrastructure construction stage.  Of the remaining 10 projects, one is expected to have a tender approved and go to construction in Q3 2021.  

Nine are not yet ready to go to infrastructure tender stage which is required in order to receive approval to proceed to construction. Of these nine, six are advancing through the detailed design and planning stage and the remaining three projects are currently under review.  My Department while reviewing these projects will consider requests from local authorities for extensions to the funding agreements as and when they arise.

In terms of homes delivered, the table below details the number of completed homes up to Q4 2020, some figures are still being finalised. Figures in respect of 2021 delivery are currently being collated by Local Authorities.

Local AuthorityProject NameResidential Units Delivered to DateSocial/Part VCost Reduced/More Affordable
Cork CountyCarrigaline20300
FingalOldtown/Mooretown29914285
KildareNaas190 15150
MeathRatoath1311210
South DublinAdamstown SDZ1,640164728
Cork CityGlanmire971658
FingalDonabate16337126
LimerickMungret954649
KilkennyFerrybank303 
 Total2,848 3071,406

In terms of the LIHAF funding drawdown, thus far, most infrastructure projects have been at the design, planning and procurement stages, and the bulk of expenditure will arise during the construction phase.  This is reflected in the level of expenditure to date, with approximately €65.946m in Exchequer funds drawn down (matched by a further 25% local authority funding) bringing the total expenditure to approximately €87.928m. Whilst drawdown to date has been in-line with expectations and budget profiling, at this time it is not fully apparent what impact the extended closure of the construction sector due to the Level 5 public health restrictions will have on LIHAF funding claims in 2021. The table below details the exchequer funding drawn down up to 22 June 2021.

Local AuthorityProject NameInfrastructure   to be deliveredDrawdown of LIHAF funding Exchequer Contribution to 22 June 2021 (€)
Clare  Claureen, Ennis  • New link road including services and roundabouts237,091
Cork City  Old Whitechurch Road  • Re-routing power lines.  
• Road improvements.
• Water and drainage improvements
8,364,000
Cork City  South Docks  • South Docks Transition Zone   transport infrastructure
• Eastern Gateway Bridge western approach road
• Marina Park – District Park
• Kennedy Park upgrade
6,377,538
Cork CityGlanmire• The Glanmire Sustainable   Transport Package
• Upgrade of Dunkettle road (northern section)
• Other road improvements including new link road and junction upgrades
606,240
Cork County  Midleton (Water-rock)  • Knockgriffen junction upgrade
• New spine link road
• Storm water sewer
411,964
Cork County  Carrigaline      • Upgrade of Shannonpark roundabout450,000
Dublin City  Dodder Bridge  • New public transport bridge   across the Dodder near the point it empties into the Liffey637,480
Dublin City  Belmayne and Clongriffin  • Road Improvements
• New Main Street
415,421
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown  Cherrywood• Druid’s Glen Road (road only),
• Druid’s Glen bridge – (short bridge structure transversing valley) • New N11 junction ‘Q’ at Druid Glen Road
• Druid’s Glen Road (bridge feature)
3,213,297
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown  Woodbrook Shanganagh  • Revision of the Woodbrook   roundabout on the old N11
• Road improvements to support housing development
• Access to the future DART station.
0
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown  Clay Farm  • Construction of 600m of new loop road0
Fingal  Donabate Distributor     Road  • Distributor Road
• Bridge over railway line
10,784,703
Fingal  Oldtown Mooretown  • Road  improvements
• Junction works at Rathbeale Road
4,020,000
Fingal  Baldoyle Stapolin  • Ramp providing pedestrian and   cyclist access to Clongriffin Train   Station
• Attenuation areas
• Regional Park • ‘Hole in Wall’ staggered junction upgrade works
3,709,393*
Kildare          Naas  • Naas inner relief road470,190
Kildare          Maynooth      • Maynooth Eastern Relief Road
• Bridge crossing railway and Royal Canal
683,349
Kildare          Sallins      • Provision of community and   amenity space654,584
Kilkenny          Ferrybank      • Provision of community and   amenity space350,000
Kilkenny          Western Environs  • Distributor Road from the N76 Callan Road to the Circular Road
• Upgrade of the Circular Road to the Kilmanagh Road
• Upgrade the Kilmanagh Road on the Northern Boundary of the Western   Environs Area
• Linear park and internal amenity areas
6,711,050
Limerick          Mungret      •Provision of new distributor road2,341,164
Louth  Newtown Drogheda  • Provision of Access Road95,331
Louth  Mount Avenue Dundalk  • Road Improvements229,916
Meath  Ratoath      • Ratoath outer relief road1,614,642
Meath  Farganstown, Navan  • Access road4,425,247
South Dublin  Kilcarbery/Corkagh Grange  • Spine access road, including junction upgrade
• Pumping station and rising foul main to existing sewer network
• Foul sewer outfall
889,789
South Dublin  Clonburris SDZ  • Surface water upgrade improvement   scheme36,996
South Dublin  Adamstown      • Celbridge link road
• Airlie Park
• Tandy’s Lane Park
5,792,572
Waterford City and County Council  Gracedieu      • Access Road159,118
Waterford City and County Council  Kilbarry      • Distributor road2,182,291
Westmeath          Brawny Road, Athlone  • Access Road82,500
Total  65,945,866

*One claim is currently being processed.