Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will ask general questions, and anyone who wants to can answer them. The witnesses have reinforced what everyone in the room knows, the need for State intervention with social and affordable houses. We need a major increase in the output of social and affordable housing.

Mr. Brennan made the point that the issue of land is critical. What is the relationship of the Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance with the local authorities? I live in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area. I am familiar with the area of Shanganagh Castle with the potential for 600 or 700 homes. It was sold by the Department of Justice and Equality many years ago but is still lying idle. Will Mr. Brennan share his experience in dealing with the local authority on access to land? I have heard from other co-operative movements and people involved and smaller charities which have approached local authorities and were told that the local authority is not interested and may do it itself at some stage, but it has not done it.

I am very familiar with the very successful Ó Cualann model. Mr. Brennan sells it well. I have visited some of its units and am very impressed. I am also impressed with the keen pricing of these units and the inclusive model with a percentage of social and affordable units to rent and purchase. Will he share with us his experience with the local authorities and also with other State agencies? I constantly talk about big State agencies with large landbanks. We know a national inventory of State lands is being undertaken, but it is still a long way from completion.

Mr. Roantree spoke about the differential rent scheme. He will be aware that the Government was trying to introduce a national differential scheme. Will he tease out that?

It was stated that the anticipated growth of HAP means that issues surrounding the design of differential schemes are likely to be of increased importance both centrally and to local policymakers. Perhaps the witnesses would elaborate on that point and also comment on the differential scheme and the pitfalls in and around it from their point of view.

The problem with a lot of low-income earners is that because they are above the threshold for social housing, they are caught between not being eligible for social housing and not being able to buy a home. Many of these people are in employment but they are on low incomes, so they are trapped. They are above the threshold for social housing, they cannot access funding to purchase or rent and they are being squeezed further out of the cities. I am interested in the synergy between the housing agencies and the private banking sector. Mr. Brennan spoke about building a relationship with AIB or AIB wanting to build a relationship with the housing bodies. We hear a lot of negatives about banks. I am interested to hear how that relationship is going. Where is the role for private finance and the private sector in all of this? That has to be explored. People may have ideological reasons to oppose it, but bottom line, we have a major housing crisis in terms of affordability. I am very much interested in hearing the witnesses' experiences in terms of the synergies and possibilities with the private sector, both in construction and finance.