Mr. Hugh Brennan:

In terms of accessibility, Poppintree is probably one of the best areas in the country for a residential development because it is so close to everything. It is ten minutes from the airport and 20 minutes by bike into town. I have done the latter, although it is 25 minutes coming back out because it is uphill. It is close to Beaumont Hospital, DCU and the M50. It is ideal. That is what we seek when considering sites. We do not want to be pushed out to the extremities where people have transport costs and so on.

Senator O'Sullivan spoke about building communities. We bring people together in advance before the houses are ever constructed. They form a group, have several meetings and decide on their common charter.

When they were preparing the common charter in Poppintree they said they wanted to live in a development where they got to know their neighbours before they moved in; where they all looked out for each other; the mortgages did not cripple them; their energy bills were low; the houses were built to the best international standards and they felt safe and secure. We say that is not too much to ask for any community. That is our guideline for moving to the next development in Cranogue and we will go through the same process. We hope to have a similar one of 20 units in Ardmore in Waterford, five of which will be social housing with Túath. If we get the ones in Cork we will follow the same process.

We need to be a bit more rigorous in considering the subsequent sale of houses in private developments under the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF. There is one in Swords where the Government and local authority have put in €4.9 million in LIHAF funding but as advertised a two-bedroom affordable house there will cost €295,000. That is not affordable for a two-bedroom house, a person would have to be earning between €45,000 and €50,000 to buy it. I think the advertisement also said they would be €2,500 less than the market value. That is not affordable. If the Government is putting a lot of money into making housing available, which I agree with, it should be more rigorous in dealing with the developer on the ultimate sale price.