Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Chairman well in his new role. He comes highly qualified by his track record in his previous role. I thank the officials from the Department of Social Protection for coming in and for their presentation. Like Deputy Boyd Barrett, I come from the housing department of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. It is very proactive and drives the supply of housing in Dún Laoghaire, although it has been slow and that is probably because of the procurement process it has to go through. I hope that will be addressed in the action plan for jobs. A total of 681 units are under way and will be delivered in the next 12 or 14 months in Dún Laoghaire. That will not solve the problem but it is a fantastic start.

What distinguishes HAP from rent supplement is that it allows people the opportunity to get back into employment, with their allowance diminished or increased on a gradual basis where required. Rent supplement did not do that. It is important to state that. I come from an area where rents are exorbitant, at between €1,600 and €1,800 a month for the average three-bed house. We have not started this scheme in Dún Laoghaire yet but this does give us breathing room or a safety net for people to have a roof over their head while we get supply up and going. We all know what happened in the past but we did rely in the early 2000s on private developers under Part V and ceased direct builds which diminished our housing stock as well as selling off housing stock. The procurement process is 134 weeks for any part aid scheme. We are now getting to the point where funding is back to develop direct build in local authorities. In Dún Laoghaire the 681 units are a start. I hope this gives us space to continue that programme throughout the country.

People give out about the housing stock we have and say that we have not been spending money on council housing. Deputy Boyd Barrett will confirm that in Dún Laoghaire over the past ten years, a serious maintenance project has been under way such that every council-owned house has had a massive overhaul, whether new windows, guttering, painting, new hall doors or attic insulation so that the turnover is much faster. There is only one void in Dún Laoghaire, which is unusual compared with the rest of the country. That is because the housing department is driven and has really killed itself, so to speak, in recent years. Only now do we see the fruits of the hard work that has been done because a house cannot be built in less than nine months. It is impossible, unless it is rapid build. This will be a multifaceted approach. HAP is very welcome. I know there may be teething troubles in certain areas, but we have to accept that. We have to give it time. We need time for supply to get to the level we need as well. I welcome this, and I am delighted with the Department’s presentation, but we need to say this allows people to go back into employment without losing the safety net of support.