Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank members for their support. If a consensus position emerges for a particular percentage, notwithstanding the fact that, like Deputy Barry, I prefer the percentages that are listed in the Bill, I commit to working with that. It is not legally possible to apply these retrospectively. Developments for which planning permission has previously been granted will continue. This is about future developments. I emphasise the point about affordable housing. On page 12 of the Library and Research Service's paper there is a good table of Part V developments and the breakdown of social and affordable housing from 2002 to 2018. One can see that, from 2006 to 2008, affordable housing was the larger proportion of those. We had a good meeting with officials from the Department, the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, and two local authorities about affordable housing. Members that were here will know that those projects will not deliver a significant yield of affordable units for some years. We will get some in Dún Laoghaire next year but it will only be in the following years for Dublin city and elsewhere. For those members who are really keen to see affordable rental or purchases come on-stream more quickly, this is the only route on the table.

The final point I will raise, which Senator Boyhan mentioned - and which brought a wry smile to my face - is one that I will also mention to Mr. Paul Hogan when he speaks later. The final paragraph of the Department's presentation refers to fresh policy uncertainty.

One of the things the construction industry complains to the Government about is that it keeps changing the rules. I am not saying the Department is necessarily wrong; some changes I agree with, some I do not. If a policy change has a positive outcome, particularly for people who are unable to access social and affordable housing now, it is one that is worth making but when it is made the Government should stick to it for a period. Most members of the committee are of the view that we will not seek to come back to this at a later stage if we pass it and proceed. Industry will then know that is where it will stay for the future.