Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 20 June 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Social Housing Bill 2016: Discussion

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Our guests will gather from the previous round of questions that we will be supporting Deputy Ó Broin's Bill. While we have reservations about the percentages, we have spoken to Deputy Ó Broin on that directly. However, we are fully behind the thrust of changing Part V back to a minimum of 20%, which will include affordable homes. We have not delivered on affordable homes for a long time and there is currently no affordable scheme. Affordability is a key issue for us.

Ms Timmons stated that people bought the land and that they need certainty. I do not buy that at all. In the context of county development plans, the Department had no problem completely dezoning land that had been bought. The Department has dezoned land wholesale and it did not cost it a thought to do so. I do not think the fact that somebody has bought land should be a concern of the Department regarding Part V and I do not understand that logic. In the context of Wicklow specifically, most developers are selling nearly 100% of their developments to the Department for social housing in any case. Why is there suddenly an issue and why should increasing it by 10% or 15% be a concern to the developer, who has already bought the land, when it did not concern the Department in previous years, when it was dezoning land or changing the criteria for zoning? That is still ongoing.

I mentioned earlier that this is an apt time to implement this measure. We have the national planning framework and the regional plans. Most counties will have a complete review of their county development plans on the basis of those regional plans. With that in mind, this is the ideal opportunity. I sometimes wonder whether we should look at all developments and state that a percentage should be build to rent, a percentage should be affordable, a percentage should be for first-time buyers and a percentage should be for social housing. Is that something we need to do? Should it be policy that all aspects of housing need are met with the planning application? Those are a few points to consider. On the question of unintended consequences for a developer, I do not buy that at all. Ms Timmons stated that they bought land. That is not a reason not to look at this as a logical policy.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.