Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire Deputy, Mary Mitchell O’Connor has today (Tuesday) welcomed the announcement of more than €4.4 million to be made available to Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown County Council for social and voluntary housing and regeneration projects. This is part of more than €250 million to be allocated to local authorities throughout the country to support social housing nationally.

“The details of the housing capital allocations to local authorities was made today by the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan. Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown is in line to receive €4,400,150, with more than €3.5 million going toward housing supply and €807,000 being used to improve the housing stock, including regeneration.

“Due to our economic circumstances, the days of big capital funded construction projects have come to a halt for the moment. The reality is, however, that the demand for social and voluntary housing remains high. This is forcing the Government to come up with new and innovative ways of doing more with less.

“The Minister has said she expects to be able to deliver between 3,500 and 4,000 additional social housing units this year through measures such as the Capital Advance Leasing Facility, among others. Investment in improving the housing stock should see another 1,500 properties that are currently vacant, come back into use.

“As part of the overall allocation of €691 million for local authorities under the Social Housing Investment Programme for 2012, €251.5 million is being used to support the national regeneration programme, to improve the standard of energy efficiency of the national housing stock and to fulfil commitments under existing contracts for the delivery of social and voluntary housing.

“By ensuring that social and voluntary housing construction remains on-going and that the regeneration and improvement of our cities and villages is sustained, we will continue to meet the housing requirements of those most in need of assistance.

“A particular focus is being given to bringing older and vacant housing back into use through improving the standard and energy efficiency of the national social housing stock. This will also serve the purpose of breathing new life into areas that have, in recent times, been neglected and ignored.

“I am delighted that such a generous allocation has been made for Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown and I look forward to seeing the benefits it will bring for the locality into the future.”