Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentations. It is very interesting to hear the range of views of the three groups.

I will begin with Dr. Tom Healy. His presentation was very succinct and he helped to explain the cost rental concept. It makes a lot of sense. He spoke about the housing market, the culture in Ireland of owning property and the changes we see happening because of demographic growth. The recession is over for the moment. Dr. Healy referred to the boom-bust cycle in the construction industry. From his experience of the cost rental sector and the evidence in other countries, how does he see it being introduced in Ireland? There is no doubt that we are in a housing crisis. The issues are felt across the board, including the lack of supply and affordability. There is a lack of public and social housing. There is, therefore, a real need for a housing model that would meet demand and the model Dr. Healy has outlined is potentially a good one that might be accelerated to tackle the crisis. What could be done to accelerate it, given the cultural difficulties?

There are vacant and derelict sites across the country. When we refer to a cost rental model, does it apply to new builds only or might local authorities adapt vacant and derelict sites to meet it?

With regard to the presentation made by the St. Michael's Estate regeneration team, we hear that it is a community that has hit barriers. Given what the group is stating, how can its request be accelerated during a housing crisis to make it happen? The speakers referred to the private rental market and the vultures. We need to get away from this frenzy of people buying properties speculatively which fuelled the bubble we saw in the past and from which we should have learned. Given Dr. Healy's experience, how can we avoid the bubble expanding with a system such as this that would create exactly what he said, a quality, long-term, secure rental sector that we need in this country?