Further funding has been allocated by the Government to deliver 1,000 additional social housing units in Ireland.

€182 million has been secured across 22 local authorities.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly said he has also actively pursued options for fast delivery, such as turnkey developments and large scale acquisitions.

Minister Kelly said: "We have created a strong pipeline of new local authority-led construction projects, which I have prioritised as a key part of the medium and long-term response to social housing delivery. We have also actively pursued options for fast delivery, such as turnkey developments and large scale acquisitions. These give very early delivery of new homes for those on the waiting list.

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"In 2015 the Ministers approved funding for over 1,000 acquisitions of social housing units and the remediation of 2,700 vacant houses and apartments. Alongside over 200 construction projects so far sanctioned for local authorities and approved housing bodies, and the approval of new turnkey projects, the Social Housing Strategy is ensuring a strong range of delivery mechanisms is being used. Since the publication of the Social Housing Strategy, over 400 posts have been sanctioned in local authorities in order to develop a local authority system that is capable of building 10,000 social housing units per year."

(CD/LM)