Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Committee Stage

7:50 pm

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I move amendment No. 21:


In page 27, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following:“(e) social housing;”.
This is a very simple amendment about ensuring part of the €6 billion can be invested in social housing. Our social housing provision is at a crisis point, with more than 100,000 people on housing waiting lists throughout the country and, in certain counties, people waiting weeks or months to get on housing lists. Given that the Department of Social Protection pays approximately €500 million per year in rent allowance, it is very important we direct some of the money into the provision of social houses. We would be creating assets and would be able to reap a dividend by way of the differential rent system. Instead of spending €500 million per year of taxpayers' money in rent allowances, we should provide our own housing stock.
This issue has received particular attention in recent weeks by way of Private Members' business and the housing Bill that has come before the Dáil. Many Deputies from constituencies throughout the country have continually raised the need for greater investment in social housing. The amendment requests that the fund would be used for the provision of social housing.

We are getting an asset but it is labour intensive. People most adversely affected by the recent downturn - tradesmen, block layers and labourers - are coming back into the workplace.

People will not accept this if the investment focuses on the east coast, on Dublin and its commuter belt areas. We want balanced regional development, with each area getting its fair share of investment to ensure we create jobs, not just in the areas of high population density but also further west. That is why my colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, put forward these two amendments.