John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and Ministers of State for the work in their brief over the past 12 months or more. The affordable housing Bill will be key to our work. In order for us to get the cost rental model right, it must be opened beyond the approved housing body and State sector. That is if we are to realise and scale up housing delivery.

Department officials, when they appeared before this committee, indicated that we would have a proof of concept first and look to attract pension funds in time with a cap of 3% or 4%. I have no issue with the capping of the returns but the model has already been proven in other countries. If we are serious about scaling up, we must deploy every tool, so excluding the private sector just does not make sense, particularly as it can borrow off balance sheet and approved housing bodies are on the State balance sheet.

In the context of drafting regulations and eligibility criteria in the affordable housing Bill for the shared equity scheme, I ask the Minister to include individuals and families who lost homes prior to the introduction of changes to the mortgage to rent scheme in February 2017 and who do not currently have a property. I know a number of families in that position. Without access to a scheme like the shared equity or affordable purchase process, they will be stuck in rental accommodation in perpetuity.

I feel like a broken record at times speaking about the repair and lease scheme in the context of homelessness. It has been transformational in Waterford and I know the Minister has seen that himself. It should not be the case that 48% of all housing units delivered in the State under the repair and lease scheme are in Waterford. We know every town, city and village has derelict buildings that should be brought into productive use. I strongly believe the Minister must put targets in place for local authorities to repair and lease units on a yearly basis. This should be in addition to leasing targets and it needs to be specific to the repair and lease scheme.

The Minister should also consider the introduction of a pilot scheme and perhaps he could look at Waterford in that context. Local authorities could return units to productive use under the repair and lease scheme for use in cost rental schemes. It is important to get the social mix in areas like Waterford, where there has been a high volume of delivery under the repair and lease schemes. I ask the Minister to take on board those points.