Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

Notwithstanding the Minister's view, and that of the Secretary General, on turnkey developments, which I am broadly supportive of, does the Minister accept that the majority of new-build social and cost-rental homes will be delivered by private developers through turnkey for some time and that there is a good chance that a large volume of those will be with different standards? Is it not a problem for the Minister? Let me put the question the other way. Michael Stanley from Cairn Homes was out saying that in a number of projects, which are already identified as possible turnkeys for social housing, they are now going to put in, subject to the passing of legislation this week, requests for permitted alterations and that he would pass the savings on to the AHBs. If I understand the Department’s design standards - I do not agree with them but if I understand them – they are to active private sector supply. Surely they are not to save money for the State on AHB or LDA turnkeys.

That seems to me an odd outworking of what the Minister proposed last week and this week.