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

I agree with the Cathaoirleach that the product being built now is substantially superior to what was built previously. It is very different from what we had in the past. We are producing A-rated homes using the best of technologies. The continued expansion of modern methods of construction, MMC, much of which is happening by way of off-site construction, is coupled with the increased use of timber and light-gauge steel. Many schemes across the country are being built using those technologies. NUA Manufacturing in Carlow, based in the old Braun factory, is engaged in a major investment and will produce hundreds of homes off site.

We have looked at standardisation in the provision of social housing. We have produced standardised design guides for five different house types for local authorities and AHBs building social housing. The documents provide guidance at a level right down to the layout of the homes. That process is in place and we want to accelerate it further. How do we incentivise that provision? As the Chair knows, and with his support, we have targeted 1,500 additional social housing properties over 31 sites through local authorities. They were encumbered sites. The €90 million-plus we took on board was on the basis that the homes will be delivered through MMC. The latter is where construction is at and where it is going. That is going to accelerate. I have referred to off-site construction and new building materials. I am particularly interested in the work being done by the interdepartmental timber products group around cross-laminated timber. That presents a real opportunity for us. It has not been used heretofore on properties over 11 m in height. The Cathaoirleach's colleague Deputy Duffy is very involved in that, as is the Minister of State, Senator Hackett.

What would we do if we had another five years? We would work on a further expansion of cost-rental provision. It is a really popular tenure. The secure tenancy affordable rental scheme, is open to ethical investment through private financing. It cannot just be the State doing this, although the State will continue to do it. Local authorities such as South Dublin County Council are building significant cost-rental schemes. The LDA delivery is accelerating and will accelerate further as more land is transferred to it. Three years ago, the LDA had not produced a single house. Its numbers were in the hundreds last year and it will build more than 1,000 homes this year. It is building on its own land.

We want affordability to permeate across the housing sector. However, we will still need supports like the first home scheme. That scheme will be with us for more than three years, and rightly so. It is important that the supports that are there for first-time buyers remain in place. As I said, there are opportunities that we are realising and using around MMC. All the homes in Monivea Road, the first cost-rental scheme in Galway, were built off site through MMC. That helps to reduce costs, increase efficiency and improve delivery timeframes.