Over 300 acres of State land earmarked for social houses

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern has announced that over 300 acres of State land are to be used for building hundreds of houses under the social and affordable housing scheme.

Speaking at the ICTU conference in Tralee, Mr Ahern said a high-density development of apartments will be built on eight acres in two separate Office of Public (OPW) works sites in Dublin's inner city.

Planning applications for the developments at Inchicore and Infirmary Road, close to the Phoenix Park, are to be lodged immediately.

The Government has also agreed a proposal for the release of lands at McKee Barracks, Kildare and Gormanstown, Co Meath (totalling 309 acres). The planning work will commence immediately, he said.

Further State lands will be released in the future, Mr Ahern added, with specific proposals being submitted for consideration by the end of September.

"In developing the Housing Initiative, we will not allow social segregation," the Taoiseach told delegates at the conference.

Capital spending for affordable housing, and other social housing programmes will amount to over 1.7 billion in 2003.

Mr Ahern also a said a stable rental market is central to housing policy. He said the Government was determined to reform landlord tenant law "to ensure that tenants have security of tenure and that they have available to them a one-stop-shop to settle disputes".

Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, €7.6 billion was to be provided by the State for social and affordable housing. Under the scheme, new houses are offered for sale to eligible buyers at cost price, representing a considerable discount on the market value of homes.