Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That also goes for a few other people in the room.

I find myself in agreement with a number of the Deputy's points, but not others. I agree with the Central Bank rules. They may need to be tweaked and definitely needed to be monitored but, in general, they are correct because the price of houses cannot rise to €500,000 and we cannot have people worrying about how they will pay for such houses over 30 years.

We cannot go back to a boom-and-bust situation where developers and builders entered the market and people ended up with large mortgages which they were unable to pay. That leads to social issues, such as estates not being finished, and developers and builders owing the State millions, if not billions, of euro which the chances of recovering are very low. We cannot go back to that and allow the people who engaged in such activity to re-enter the market. We cannot allow profit margins to be with the developers and builders. I acknowledge that they have to make a profit, but we should act on behalf of those who need housing.

Deputy Wallace asked about the local authority process. I was very taken by the question. I have changed the system. I ask the Deputy to revert to his local authority and ask it why it is taking so long. I presume the Deputy has read the report on all the projects in Wexford. They include: St. Aidan's Road in Wexford town, comprising 14 units; Barrystown in Wellingtonbridge, comprising 16 units; Ballyowen in Gorey, comprising nine units; Killeens, comprising ten units; Cherryorchard in Enniscorthy comprising eight units; and others. They are all small projects and there is no reason in the world for them not to proceed as quickly as possible. They have all been sanctioned.

Committee members may not be fully aware that I changed the process by which approval for small projects is granted. Virtually all of the projects I mentioned would come under that process. Smaller projects previously had to engage in a four-stage process with the Department, but there is now only one stage for projects comprising fewer than 20 units. Such action was necessary.

I ask Deputy Wallace to allow me to finish because he asked many questions. Local authorities have the capacity to engage in that process. There is an information gap or misinformation about what is happening. The capacity of local authorities to take control through a one-step process for small projects is in place. I instigated and demanded the process because I agreed that the process needed to be speeded up.

There are requirements for planning, design and all of that. Local authorities have the capacity to engage with such projects but very few, if any, take up the chance of engaging with smaller projects through that process. That is a question the committee may want to address. The process has been in place for a while, but local authorities have not engaged. It is something which will be very fruitful into the future.

The Deputy is correct about social housing percentages. Of course the figure of 9% has to increase, and that is why we have put in place a new process. In regard to the vacant site levy, I disagree with the Deputy. Local authorities are actively planning for how they are going to use the process and are very happy with it. I speak as a person who wanted to do a lot more, but I have already outlined how I was prevented from being as ambitious as I wanted to be.

On the issue of funding, it is not for me to suggest, but perhaps the committee should bring in the outgoing or incoming Minister for Finance to discuss housing.