Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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The first issue that needs to be determined is the extent to which the local authorities are to be relied upon to provide social housing in the future. We moved away from that over the past ten or 15 years which was a big mistake. We have the problems we have now because the requirement to provide social housing was taken away from the local authorities. It is absolutely imperative that we ensure that the local authorities are fully aware of the responsibility that should fall to them in the provision of local authority or social housing. They are in the best position to provide such housing and they have the where with all to do it. They have at their fingertips all of the State-owned lands that are available in their respective areas as well as all of the housing developments. They also have available to them, arising from last year's budget, the resources to acquire and build houses and to introduce modular housing. We need to know how quickly they can put in place the necessary measures to address the requirements in their respective administrative areas.