Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 1 October 2015

Public Accounts Committee

National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed)

10:00 am

Mr. Brendan McDonagh:

Yes, and I think there would be a lot of debate around that. There is lots of commentary. People say it is not viable and talk about the Central Bank mortgage restrictions and development levies. I will give the Deputy an example. There is an area in Dublin where 2,000 much-needed houses could be built and the development levies on that are about €55,000 per house, which is extraordinary when in most other local authorities in the country, the levies are about €10,000 per unit. There are additional levies to fund infrastructure which are set down by legislation but it is a complete impediment to anybody being able to build a house at a reasonable price and being able to sell it in the current market.