Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank NESC, the ESRI and the Housing Agency for their continued work in this area. Their insight is invaluable. I have three questions concerning cost rental, stock and permanent affordability.

As I have often mentioned in the Dáil and in this committee, increasing our cost rental stock by developing new units on public land will eventually drive down rent prices going forward. Based on the witnesses' research and expertise, what annual target should the State work towards to deliver enough cost rental units to drive rents down?

On permanent affordability, in the presentation by Dr. O'Toole and Dr. Slaymaker, they emphasised the importance of permanent affordability. I completely agree with affordable purchase and rent, as it is very much at the centre of Green Party housing policy. Do the provisions set out in this Bill in its entirety, including cost rental equity loan, CREL, putting cost rental on a statutory basis, the affordable purchase of homes provided by the Land Development Agency, LDA, and the affordable purchase schemes, offer permanent affordability in the long term? What amendments or proposals would the witnesses strongly suggest that the Government considers? To summarise, what annual target for cost rental units should the State be delivering to reduce rents? Does the Bill offer permanent affordability? What amendments would the witnesses propose to the Bill?