To ask the Minister of Finance whether he has considered the release of funding through investment of Civil Service and public sector pension funds, to finance social housing.

My Department has direct responsibility for the Civil Service Pension Scheme. This scheme is of an ‘unfunded’ defined benefit design. This means there is no fund, or associated investments.

It can be noted that the other public service schemes are of a similar unfunded design, with the exception of the Local Government Pension Scheme, which is the responsibility of the Department for Communities.