300 million euro is being poured into a major social housing construction programme.

It's hoped that more than 100 separate projects will be kick-started around the country throught the government's plan that's being unveiled today.

Every local authority across the country is due to get a cut of this funding that's aimed at providing 17 hundred new housing units by 2017.

Some projects will only bring forward a small number of homes but some councils in the Dublin area will use the money to fund projects of more than 50 units.

An estimated 300 jobs will also be provided in the construction phases of the developments.

Today's announcement is part of the first phase of 'direct-build' under the government's 4 billion euro social housing strategy, which aims to bring 35 thousand housing units onstream by 2020.

The target is to bring housing waiting lists down by a quarter over the next two years.

Full details will be outlined by the Environment Minister Alan Kelly and Junior Minister with responsibility for housing Paudie Coffey later today.