Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to be able to speak on the motion. I am not being personnel about the Minister but we are sick and tired of Ministers with responsibility for housing. The Minister is the sixth person in the position in the past eight or nine years. We have had announcement after announcement but nothing happens. The Minister was in Clonmel, County Tipperary, last Thursday where he turned the sod for 26 units in Glenconnor. The same sod had been turned by the previous Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, two years ago. How many times must the sod be turned? He should get out and do the job and let people have houses.

That day I asked the builder, whom I know quite well, from Semiton, which is a good company, when he will start work. He is waiting for the letter of offer. I wonder how long he will wait for it. This is the game being played by the Government. It is playing games with people's lives and it is very sad. In the upcoming budget it would be prudent if the Government taxed and put manners on the vulture funds and removed the punitive charges on people in shops in towns and villages who want to change them back to living accommodation but face a 50% or 60% charge between council charges and VAT.

During the talks on a programme for Government we asked the then Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to do something about VAT but he said a reduction could not be given to the builders. I asked why it could not be given to people building their own homes. Dozens of people want to build houses in rural Tipperary. Young couples who have the wherewithal and a site cannot get planning permission. It is a dog in the manger job. The Government will not build but it will not allow people to build either. I do not know what is driving it or what philosophy is behind it but the Government does not want to build houses.

There is way too much spinning for anybody to bear. More than 3,000 people are on the housing list in Tipperary and thousands more are trying to get onto it but the houses are not there. The Government must allow ordinary small builders to get out there and force the banks to give them cash. It is blocking community banking being offered in post offices. Small builders who would do the work cannot get cash. They are not rip-off merchants or big developers. Ordinary people who have houses or sites and want to build their own houses are regulated out of all proportion. We have regulation and red tape but no tangible supports for people to allow them to do the simple things we need to do. I do not mean huge plans such as Rebuilding Ireland, which has been a failure, but ordinary simple measures. The Government can do this through the budget and the negotiations on a renewed confidence and supply agreement, which will be conducted after the budget.

I am delighted to see that yesterday, a company in my area, Horizon Offsite Limited, announced job increases. It is a steel frame company that is building thousands of houses in England but cannot get accreditation here. I believe it has almost got it now. These people want to work here and can do so. They are entrepreneurs and should be left to do the work. Remove all of the red tape and allow them to work here. I am not saying we should slash regulations. I am saying we have too much red tape and it takes to long for the Department to approve local authority projects. The Government blames local councils and councils blame the Department. For years I have asked that all county managers meet the Minister to have it out with regard to who is blaming who. Get it sorted and let the people have houses. The Government has the budget to do it now.

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