Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know that has happened on certain sites but I do not know the position regarding the NAMA site to which the Deputy refers because I do not have the details in front of me. The Deputy claims that it is only 10% but it not certain what affordability might also be delivered on the site in question. I cannot speak to the individual circumstances of Cherrywood because we are at a sensitive stage in the contract negotiations. The Deputy knows that when I had funding, there were two criteria to which the council could apply that funding - one was the cost of production for every unit on a site and the other was an affordability dividend for a smaller number of units. Different local authorities have done different things depending on the how much money they are getting. What we can be certain of, and what I will be certain of when we have signed these contracts, is that the public return will be commensurate with the public investment made into that site. That is the responsibility that I have as Minister.

On Shanganagh in the Deputy's local authority area, Councillor Brady has come forward with an innovative proposal for social and affordable housing across the entire site. It is very welcome. We looked at it in the Department, the chief executives in Dún Laoghaire looked at it and we hope it can proceed and that other councils can also take it on board.

On the maintenance of local authority housing, there is a myth, and people have told it to me, that certain local authorities are unwilling to invest in new homes because they do not want to take on the ongoing recurrent maintenance charges which would fall on them each year. I do not see that being the case and certainly local authorities have not raised anything like this with me. It is just a myth.

The eligibility criteria for social housing are being reviewed but I do not expect that there will be a significant increase, if there is an increase at all. When the position was reviewed previously, an additional buffer of €5,000 was inserted in respect of the anticipated increases - these did occur - in that period. That review is ongoing.

We are coming to an agreement on a definition of what constitutes substantial refurbishment. I gave a broad outline of what that might look like when I mentioned the change we are putting in place for the RTB. A number of housing bodies have come to me and to the different agencies with definitions or wordings that might work. That will be communicated to landlords and owners by the RTB in coming weeks. If I have to put it on legislative footing, I will do so. However, the only legislation in respect of which it might be possible to do that would be the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill which has reached Report Stage and which will be coming back to the House in October. I do not particularly want to do that because it would not be the right place to put it but if it is necessary and Deputies are willing to support me in allowing a late amendment we might be able to do it then. If not, we will have to do it next year.