Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I confirm that I am in Leinster House. I have a couple of questions for the witnesses from the CCMA. Mr. Mark Bourke from Dublin City Council told us about the problems local authorities have in comparison with the private sector in delivering housing. In some cases, the process they have to go through can see construction taking six years. In the context of the affordable housing Bill, are the witnesses speaking to the Department about the steps and processes that take place between local authorities and the Department in regard to the provision of funding? Where does the CCMA see the longer delays arising in local authority delivery of social housing?

Mr. Curran said that he is talking to the Department about additional funding under the serviced sites fund. What type of infrastructure is he talking about in this regard? Is he referring to enhanced infrastructure? In the case of the Dublin local authorities, for example, when it comes to building anything like playgrounds, parks and other facilities that build communities beyond the bricks and mortar of housing, they often feel that they are forced to sell land in order to get the money to provide that enhanced infrastructure. Is there any case being made to the Department for funding of enhanced infrastructure, which currently is not covered?

How does the CCMA see the issue of guaranteed affordability in regard to purchase prices? In the case of O'Devaney Gardens, for instance, some of the affordable housing units cost more than €400,000. What steps can the Department or the CCMA take in terms of the procurement process to bring that price down? Following on from what Deputy Cian O'Callaghan said, where there are one or two builders on large sites, local authorities are often forced to take what those builders say is an affordable unit. Are there any steps that can be incorporated into the affordable housing Bill to enable direct dealing with small builders in order to reduce the cost of the affordable purchase element of schemes?