James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

Senator Rabbitte asked about developers. I think she would agree that it is important we have green spaces and communal spaces. These are really important. They are not, however, facilities to be done by way of levy on the developer, which will only drive up the cost of renting and purchasing property. That is why we have the development contribution scheme, if you like. That is the key. Developers contribute towards those green spaces through their contributions. The Government, through its funding streams, is providing substantial funding for various and important public spaces because they are critical.

In Galway, the Galway housing task force was established in 2019, which meets quarterly with its chair, John McCarthy, who is an ex-Secretary General of the Department of housing. Its next meeting will be on 3 September 2025. There has been a lot of senior level engagement between the Department and the task force to accelerate and address the issue regarding affordable and social housing delivery, homelessness and the related sector. There is a homelessness situation throughout the country. There is a particularly serious situation in Dublin. In the regional areas, however, Galway has a significantly higher issue with homelessness than the other regions. There is a particular issue there. The task force will try to identify why that is and how we can address it.