Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and appreciate his generosity.

The first thing is that most local authorities do not have a data set to allow them to make the assessment of the overall housing need. Looking at section 219(5), it refers to the national planning framework but that provides no granular data whatsoever. It talks about the summary of social housing needs assessments but that only includes half of the total number of households with an actual need for social housing. With respect to Deputy O'Callaghan's amendment, I do not understand why it is not there. If it is in the definition, that is an argument to put it there in the first place. Likewise, in section 219(6) where the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Affordable Housing Act 2021 are referenced, neither of those provide any local authority with any objective criteria to determine what the actual level of need is either for social, affordable, rental or affordable purchase. I put on record that nothing the Minister of State has said addresses the concerns I have outlined or indeed what is in the amendment.

To return to amendment No. 897 which we are discussing, which I presume I am allowed to do a follow-up on as well, if the argument is that it is already captured in the definition, that is an argument for making it explicit here. I can only surmise that the reason apartments are not included is because the purpose of the subsection that Deputy O'Callaghan is seeking to amend would require the local authority in its housing strategy solely to look at duplexes, and houses as more commonly understood, for the purposes of owner-occupation, and not apartments. That is the only reason it would be excluded. We are not telling local authorities they have to do this or that percentage. We are not being blunt. I just do not understand why it would be excluded. The Minister of State has not given an explanation. Simply the fact that it is in the definition earlier on is not a reason not to make it explicit here. It is a single word. It would not particularly lengthen the section or indeed the Bill.