Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will try to start in a positive vein because we have a lot of work to do to get the Bill through. It is significant that this groundbreaking legislation is now on Committee Stage. I look forward to working with colleagues of all parties and none to get the legislation through as expeditiously as possible. Deputy Ó Broin has just raised a point about the provision of a budget for the Land Development Agency to capitalise the agency. This can only be done once this legislation passes. Amendment No. 1 seeks to change the name of the LDA, which was established under a statutory instrument in 2018. This is an amendment about what the agency is called versus what it does. What we are focused on is what it actually does, which is precisely to develop and manage State lands productively, to deliver affordable, social and cost-rental homes for our people, to get on with using the land banks we have and to work in partnership with our local authorities where necessary. I still see local authorities as the main driver of social housing. This amendment relates to what we should call this agency. The LDA was established in September 2018 and, as Deputy Ó Broin will know, has been progressing works since then on the number of sites over which it has a remit. One in particular will break ground this year, and that in itself is significant. The LDA is working in partnership with multiple stakeholders, local authorities and other State bodies. Multiple public consultations have already been run since the agency's establishment. We want to establish the LDA as a commercial State body under primary legislation. The Bill deals with the LDA's corporate form and funding models among other provisions such as CPOs, which the Deputy mentioned and which were not provided for in the original Bill, and many very significant elements that will help drive forward development and land management, which the LDA has been actively involved in already through the register of public lands. It makes sense that the Bill should be named after the agency it seeks to establish so, fundamentally, I genuinely do not see any merit in accepting this amendment and will oppose it.