James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the most frequent queries raised with me is the condition of some privately rented properties and the failure of some landlords to provide adequate storage facilities for tenants to store their household rubbish. This issue needs to be addressed and it is vital that we have an enforcement of standards regulating the private rental sector to combat the bad conditions in these privately rented properties.

Access to affordable housing should be a basic right of everyone. We must remember that homelessness is not just an urban issue, but a rural reality. I have discussed with the Minister of State the huge numbers on the waiting list in my village. There are no suitable houses for tenants and approximately 28 people are on the waiting list in the small village of Legan in County Longford. I know she is working on addressing the issue.

We are moving in the right direction and have moved away from the heavy dependence on emergency accommodation in hostels and bed and breakfasts. Agreement was also reached with NAMA to make more than 2,000 properties available for the purpose of social housing through leasing arrangements with local authorities and housing associations.

When the crash came and home prices fell, a huge amount of financial folly was exposed. As the saying goes, one only learns who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out. There were far too many assumptions and speculation which has left us with far too many ugly sights in some parts of the country. The scourge of ghost estates and the plentiful supply of cheap housing must be addressed. Whatever the cause or causes, the numerous ghost estates in the midlands have been well documented on RTE programmes and in the local papers. They are a proof of the excesses of the Celtic tiger years, the greed of some developers and poor planning.

This morning, when speaking during Leaders' Questions, the Taoiseach stated that we are building 25,000 new houses every year. The Government should reconsider the decentralisation of State services and the headquarters of such offices as the medical card review office and SUSI to the midlands where there is a plentiful supply of cheap housing. There is an urgent need to diversify. Balanced regional development is required in the interest of economic development and more healthy lifestyles for our people.

It is obvious that the link between property demand and supply was stretched to a totally unrealistic length. The recession and reducing immigration broke the fragile chain. Population growth failed to meet the number of estates that were developed and unemployment has changed the rural and urban profile. As unemployment figures rose, workers gravitated towards urban centres in search of jobs.

Whether we want more than 600 ghost estates across the country is not the issue. We have them and we have to do something with them. Unless positive action is taken, these estates will become the slums of 21st century Ireland to the detriment of the rural landscape. It is important to prioritise innovative ways of selling off properties in ghost estates. Incentives such as tax concessions should be given to returning emigrants, many of whom would be happy to be able to come back to their roots. This would be a win-win situation as money would be spent locally in shops, restaurants and pubs which would be of huge help to the local economy. The same applies to those who wish to move from cities to rural areas, particularly those of retirement age. This needs to be addressed.

Does the Minister of State have any proposals to introduce a tenant purchase scheme? It is important to sell off some of our housing stock. The old tenant purchase scheme expired some time ago and I would welcome the introduction of a new scheme as soon as possible.

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