Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I will make three key points. Action No. 3.19 of Rebuilding Ireland relates to the publishing of the strategic development management plans prepared by each local authority for its housing land. The Minister might confirm whether all these plans have been completed, returned and published. There may be reasons they have not been. He may not have the information now. If he does not, not to worry. He might come back to us with supplementary information or drop the committee a note. I would have no difficulty with that.

The Minister said one of the mechanisms available to local authorities to help them deliver the affordable housing options is the serviced sites fund and that €310 million is available in grant funding to 2021 for infrastructure. What is the position in this regard? He might update us with some more information.

In The Irish Timesthis morning a story was carried about a report that is to be published which is highly critical of the maintenance standards in many of our local authorities. Of course, this has an impact. When these houses eventually become available, first, they should not be at such a low standard. This is not the case everywhere, and I have not seen the report. I have just read about it in The Irish Timestoday. However, this also has the knock-on effect of turning these houses around again when they become available if they are in such a dire state. I have been in some local authority houses in my local authority area that I am amazed people even lived in for the five years prior to this. A lot of this is due to the lack of maintenance of these houses and supports for the tenants in them. As I said, I am sure the Minister has not seen the report. I am just drawing it to his attention, and perhaps someone might come back on the report's comments on same.