Mr. Breandán Fitzgerald:

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach, leis na Seanadóirí agus le foireann Sheanad Éireann as an chuireadh le bheith anseo inniu. Is deis mhór dom é seo agus is deis mhór do chomhairleoirí é ár dtuairimí a thabhairt ar thodhchaí daonlathais áitiúil sa tír seo. Tá cónaí orm i nDaingean Uí Chúis agus tá mé mar chomhairleoir i gceantar Bardasach, Oileáin Chiarraí agus Corcha Dhuibhne i gCiarraí. Beidh m’aighneacht gairid agus ní bheidh mé ró-fhada anseo chomh maith. Is é mo thuairim, nuair atá muid caint mar gheall ar thodhchaí daonlathais áitiúil, go bhfuil muid ag caint mar gheall ar dhá rud; cé atá ag déanamh na gcinntí agus cá bhfuil na cinntí déanta? Leis sin ráite, is iad an dá rud atá á lorg agam ná an cinneadh chun tithe inacmhainne agus suíomhanna le seirbhísí a chur ar fáil do mhuintir Chiarraí, Corcha Dhuibhne agus pobal na Gaeltachta a bheith againn i gComhairle Contae Chiarraí agus in Údarás na Gaeltachta. Chomh maith leis sin, caithfidh Chomhairle Contae Chiarraí a bheith ábalta infheistíocht i gcóras séarachais inár mbailte agus sráidbhailte a dhéanamh mar, gan é seo, níl muid ábalta tithíocht sóisialta a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na háite.

My submission calls for each local authority to have the ability to make decisions locally to provide affordable housing and service sites in its county, without having to make a case to the Department for them. This is important because, as far as I can see in County Kerry, Kerry County Council and the approved housing bodies, AHBs, are the only show in town when it comes to building homes. We need to be able to provide affordable housing and service sites to people in Kerry. The county did not meet the criteria to do this but towns with a population of over 10,000 can make a case to the Department. That means only Tralee and Killarney have any chance of affordable housing and serviced sites and to date, they are still waiting. Between them, Tralee and Killarney make up just over 26% of the population of the county. That means 74% of the population of Kerry have no chance of affordable housing and serviced sites while the criteria are set by the Department. This needs to change.

My other request is that each local authority have the ability to decide where to invest in water and wastewater schemes. If a town or village system does not have this capacity, then no social housing will be developed. They must then wait for Irish Water to invest and upgrade them before the council will make plans for social housing in that village or town. These decisions should be made by the local authority. If a local authority wishes to build social housing, it should be able to do so and not have to wait for Irish Water's capital investment programme.

The future of local democracy is around who makes the decisions and where the decisions are made. I ask the committee in its recommendations to allow local councillors to make those decisions in their county buildings. Gabhaim buíochas leis an choiste agus an Cathaoirleach.