Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This committee may recall that when we did a report on housing we recommended that we would exempt developments consisting of an integrated scheme of retiring houses and houses with care from Part V requirements. In other words, firms, companies and voluntary housing agencies or groups around the country that embark on such projects are exempt from the 10% requirement because they face difficulties in acquiring sites and in providing this accommodation. They free up a great deal of housing because older people like to trade down and move into sheltered housing or housing that provides medical or care facilities. I am just giving notice that I will introduce this amendment on Report Stage. That would be one part of the amendment. The second part would be to clearly indicate or identify what we mean by "integrated retirement scheme", that they would be developments located within a range of communal services and where nursing or medical care would be provided. In that instance, we would be asking the Minister to drop the requirement for 10% to be social housing.