Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have one specific question. The witnesses may have touched on it already in so far as they have elaborated on the commitments made in the document last year about the establishment of new teams within the Department to work closely with local authorities in order to try to fast-track house-building. I tabled a parliamentary question some weeks ago to seek details of what might have been approved last year alone, whether in the first half of the year under Deputy Alan Kelly's previous magnificent plan or the new Rebuilding Ireland document produced in July. I did so with a view to seeing how this acceleration was working or whether there was evidence on the ground identifying the urgency that we know, feel and see by virtue, as previous speakers, particularly my colleague in Carlow, have alluded to in our clinics when we meet and converse with constituents around our constituencies. They are at their wits' end in an effort to see this urgency before their eyes, which, unfortunately, they do not see. The Minister, in response, said to refer to the Department's website, which identifies the figures. Looking at the figures I have since got from the website, from January 2015 to date, there have been 591 new schemes for approved housing bodies and 2,775 for local authorities. I did not get a specific breakdown for 2016. Mr. McCarthy then says that up to about 2,700 will move towards construction this year. I know that he must qualify his remarks and use terms such as "move towards", but with the help of God these houses will proceed to construction. This frightens me because it would seem to indicate - Mr. McCarthy can correct me if I am wrong and can prove that to be the case also- that there do not seem to have been any new approvals in 2016.

I am conscious that we are informed that the eight stages of the approval process have been reduced to four. Much of what is contained in the figures I have acquired relates to schemes that might even predate 2015. In my county, for example, two schemes for 60 houses were approved over two years ago and no ground has been broken yet. People are watching these proceedings or they will read the record of the debate afterward. We are merely trying to tease out where the problems and issues lie so that we can seek to have them resolved. Our duty and responsibility is to act properly and effectively with the massive amount of funds that have been put before us, which I acknowledge and do not dispute. I want this to succeed and I want Rebuilding Ireland to succeed. We all want to see progress and to be in a position whereby in 12 months' time we can collectively acknowledge that progress has been made with the Minister with responsibility at the helm. I have no problem with that. We can play politics some other day. We fight elections whenever we have to on the issues of the day. However, this is the greatest emergency facing the country and we must deal with it urgently by means of an evidence-based approach. I do not see evidence-based figures and statistics before me that I can relay to those constituents whom I meet weekly and for whom I cannot outline any progress. It is hugely frustrating and annoying and deeply disturbing that these people are attending my clinics - I am sure the position is the same for other members - and I cannot show the urgency I think is necessary and I would hope to see in the context of replies to parliamentary questions I have tabled. Could the witnesses clarify the new projects, proposals or developments that were approved last year and that are proceeding? If they cannot, I ask them to make the information available to me as soon as possible.

If there are only 2,700 this year, and the plan refers to 1,000 to 3,000 up to 2018 and increasing to 5,000 in the years thereafter to 2021, there should be many more in these responses on the website, if it were to reflect the urgency and the effort that is being made. As Deputy Mattie McGrath said, let us analyse who is and is not performing and let us start holding people to account to ensure the progress that is sought is made.