Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Committee on Housing and Homelessness

Construction Industry Federation

10:30 am

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My line of questioning is similar to that of the last two speakers.

Would the witnesses accept that there is an over-reliance on local authorities to provide social housing? As Deputy Byrne said, Mr. Eugene Cummins and the County and City Management Association came before the committee last week. They stated that local authorities are not developers and even if they had adequate resources to build on their lands the regulations stipulate that they can only use 10% to 15% for social housing. There is a perception that the federation would prefer to stay away from the issue of social housing and hand it over to the council, which is why it wants to reduce the amount of Part V housing.

I would like the witnesses to expand on the proposal that the sale of any existing housing stock to tenants should not be below replacement level. As Deputy Byrne said, some people have lived in houses for 20 or 30 years. It was only this year that the Government reintroduced the scheme whereby tenants could buy their houses.

The committee has a remit to deal with the whole of Ireland. We keep referring to starter homes priced at €300,000. In my constituency, Waterford, one could buy a newly built three-bedroom semi-detached for €165,000 or a four-bedroom detached house for €240,000. People still find those houses too expensive, but I want to put prices into context because although the issue of price is prevalent in Dublin it is a problem all over the country.

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