Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank both organisations for their presentations here this morning.

I want to focus mainly on the vacant properties. While it has been identified as one of the immediate solutions, my fear is we might move too fast on vacant properties, especially when we look outside the Dublin area at more rural towns. I am concerned that we might not plan for such conversions and would get the wrong type of conversions for over-the-shop accommodation or would get poor-quality accommodation. Equally, when one considers towns like these, no community infrastructure or facilities are in place to support town living any more. That needs to be brought along with converting these vacant properties. The public realm aspect of it is not there in the smaller towns around the country where there are significant, if not huge, vacant commercial properties. In my native county, one developer who sought to convert his commercial property into residential was refused because the plan for that town wanted to keep the streetscape commercial on the ground floor. However, there is no realistic future for that.

If we are looking at vacant properties, especially in the more rural towns, there is a need for local authorities to get actively involved in trying to create a plan for the town. It has to be a relatively quick plan that would identify key residential areas and areas that would suit continued commercial development. Along with that, we must bring that community infrastructure and that public realm with it as otherwise, it will fail as an option to live in. That plan needs to be in place, especially if fast-tracking planning for conversions is being considered.

I agree the regulatory framework has got so complex at this stage that it needs an overhaul. Deputy Ó Broin is going to tackle this in the next few months. The self-regulation part of it needs to stop now and that needs to be brought back into local authority control. As somebody noted, a one-stop shop is needed within the local authority framework that deals with fire, disability, building control and compliance. At present, three different departments deal with three different compliance matters in Wicklow, which is madness. Moreover, it happens at different times. It needs to be one process under one organisation. I believe the local authority could be the vehicle to provide it. Self-regulation should be taken out of it and the assigned certifiers should be taken out of the equation because that is only a circle of ongoing lack of responsibility.

I mentioned skills and the skill shortage in one of my first committee meetings here. The skill shortage undoubtedly is already here. Is there a difference in the training for traditional build as opposed to rapid build technologies? Is it quicker to train somebody for rapid-build technologies where people will work within a controlled environment? Will they have a much more social aspect to their lives where it is controlled and they know where they are going to each day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.? Is there a difference in the level of training within that?

On the carrot and the stick, Wicklow County Council tried to target the vacant commercial rate properties which were getting a 100% rebate. The problem was that it had to be given to everybody. One could not focus on the town streetscape, decide particular properties could be converted to residential use and state that unless they were converted, a charge of 50% of the commercial rate would be levied. If one wanted to do that, it had to apply to the whole county. We all know that with the best will in the world, there are commercial properties that will never be converted no matter what is done. It is a complex area and is not simple. There may be some ways in which we can address that issue in the future as a committee.

I have one final point on NAMA properties that were offered to local authorities. I was brought to one site, which was a half-finished estate and one would have to be mad to even think of taking that on. Some misinformation is being given out as to the quality of sites that were offered to local authorities in respect of suiting their needs.