Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive report. One-bedroom homes are absolutely a waste of time and a two-bedroom home could be built for an extra 13% or 14% on the cost of a one-bedroom property. Some people in one-bedroom homes have been separated but others have partners and children, so this demographic could be covered with an extra 13% cost. Two-bedroom homes would work out cheaper if a property has to be extended as set-up costs would be huge. Build two-bedroom homes.

We cannot build houses in rural Limerick because we do not have the infrastructure. Oola is full and Askeaton has been promised a sewerage system for 30 years. We have heard the promises of previous governments going back 30 years but it has not yet been upgraded. It is the same in Abbeyfeale and Oola. They are full to capacity and no planning permission can be sought because of that. The infrastructure issue is huge.

Conservation is holding up the conversion of voids in towns and villages around Ireland.

Iconic buildings should be saved but there are other buildings whose facades and roof scapes could be retained but which could be modernised at the back and put back into use. So many towns and villages have been desecrated by voids because conservationists are preventing them from being developed.

Another issue for the Minister relates to a ten acre site which was purchased from Limerick City and County Council by the Limerick 2030 development group. An application for funding under the Department's urban generation scheme was lodged in July. The group applied initially for €6 million to get the site through the planning and detailed design stages. The design team planners-----