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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 Authority | Project Name | Residential Units Delivered to Date | Social/Part V | Cost Reduced/More Affordable |
| Cork County | Carrigaline | 203 | 0 | 0 |
| Fingal | Oldtown/Mooretown | 299 | 14 | 285 |
| Kildare | Naas | 190 | 15 | 150 |
| Meath | Ratoath | 131 | 12 | 10 |
| South Dublin | Adamstown SDZ | 1,640 | 164 | 728 |
| Cork City | Glanmire | 97 | 16 | 58 |
| Fingal | Donabate | 163 | 37 | 126 |
| Limerick | Mungret | 95 | 46 | 49 |
| Kilkenny | Ferrybank | 30 | 3 | |
| Total | 2,848 | 307 | 1,406 |
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 Authority | Project Name | Infrastructure to be delivered | Drawdown of LIHAF funding Exchequer Contribution to 22 June 2021 (€) |
| Clare | Claureen, Ennis | • New link road including services and roundabouts | 237,091 |
| 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 City | Glanmire | • 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 roundabout | 450,000 |
| Dublin City | Dodder Bridge | • New public transport bridge across the Dodder near the point it empties into the Liffey | 637,480 |
| 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 road | 0 |
| 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 road | 470,190 |
| Kildare | Maynooth | • Maynooth Eastern Relief Road • Bridge crossing railway and Royal Canal | 683,349 |
| Kildare | Sallins | • Provision of community and amenity space | 654,584 |
| Kilkenny | Ferrybank | • Provision of community and amenity space | 350,000 |
| 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 road | 2,341,164 |
| Louth | Newtown Drogheda | • Provision of Access Road | 95,331 |
| Louth | Mount Avenue Dundalk | • Road Improvements | 229,916 |
| Meath | Ratoath | • Ratoath outer relief road | 1,614,642 |
| Meath | Farganstown, Navan | • Access road | 4,425,247 |
| 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 scheme | 36,996 |
| South Dublin | Adamstown | • Celbridge link road • Airlie Park • Tandy’s Lane Park | 5,792,572 |
| Waterford City and County Council | Gracedieu | • Access Road | 159,118 |
| Waterford City and County Council | Kilbarry | • Distributor road | 2,182,291 |
| Westmeath | Brawny Road, Athlone | • Access Road | 82,500 |
| Total | 65,945,866 |
*One claim is currently being processed.
