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

Deputy McAuliffe has covered the issue really well. Deputy Boyd Barrett has stated his opposition, effectively, to the LDA being set up in this manner yet further along his amendment No. 136 seeks to ensure that, with the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the LDA, the agreement for Shanganagh Castle is honoured by the agency. On the one hand, the Deputy is saying that this is not the way we want it and we want an agency that is effectively a management quango, which is what Deputy Ó Broin's amendment would do; we would just manage land and then decide who they would send them off to.

Shanganagh Castle is a case in point about how partnership can work because it is 100% social and affordable. We are looking at a mix of about 35% social, 51% cost-rental, 15% affordable purchase and 600 homes for people and families. We need to get on with delivering these homes. That is why having a land development agency established that cannot build homes makes absolutely no sense.

If Deputy Boyd Barrett were to support the amendments tabled by Sinn Féin then he would effectively be voting against his own amendment No. 136 that seeks to ensure that the Land Development Agency honours its agreement with the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which it will. I intend for the Land Development Agency to go to tender stage. Deputy Ó Broin mentioned that design and all other requirements are going to be needed. The agency is going to tender very soon. I intend for it to break ground in the coming months. We will be delivering homes on that site next year and that is what this is about. The time for talking is over. It is time to deliver homes and people need to get their heads around that.