Mr. John O'Connor:

Deputy Ó Broin's first question was on role of the Land Development Agency and whether it should be involved in active lands management or carrying out developments. Yes, there is an absolute need for active land management. I think it is important to have the Land Development Agency actually involved in development because many of the sites are very large, so one needs an organisation with the skills to deliver on the development of those large sites. I think the two roles can be combined. It is also important for the Land Development Agency to use approved housing bodies and local authorities, where appropriate. Let me explain what I mean by that. In some cases it might be best for the Land Development Agency to do the master planning of a site, put in the infrastructure on the site and then parcels of that land may be developed by the Land Development Agency, the local authority, approved housing bodies or others. The Land Development Agency working with the local authorities would do the master planning, fund infrastructure and ensure the development happens but it also needs to include the involvement of local authorities and approved housing bodies.

The view of the Housing Agency on the long-term ownerships of land, and how it has acted, is that it has normally tried to put land into the ownership of the local authority in that the local authority will be there in the long term, whereas the Housing Agency will not. In some cases the Housing Agency has transferred land to approved housing bodies.

There is a combination in terms of active land management and development. In terms of the development model, I think much needs to be driven directly by the Land Development Agency in terms of having the developments designed and constructed again in conjunction with the local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies. Where there is a form of joint venture, I take note of Deputy Ó Broin's point about the need to be careful in how things have worked out in other developments, but we must work out what is required and utilise the skills of the private sector to have the developments constructed and delivered quickly. The Land Development Agency, should work on its role as a developer.

The Deputy asked about the provision of social and affordable housing. Let me clarify the position. My understanding of the Government's decision was not necessarily related to the Land Development Agency. It was in respect of the sale of any lands by a State body; the State body must sell the land on the basis that 10% of the land will be used for social housing and 30% for affordable housing as a minimum. If it was within the control of the Housing Agency, the preference would be to specify much higher levels of social housing and affordable housing provision.

To take the land in Skerries, for example - it is one of the initial sites on which the Land Development Agency is working in consultation with the Housing Agency and Fingal County Council - the desire is for one third of the units to be social housing, one third to be affordable housing to rent and one third to be affordable housing for purchase. In the case of smaller sites, nearly 100% of the units might be public housing. It depends on the site involved. It is up to the Minister and the Oireachtas to decide how to write the affordability and provision of social housing in to the mandate of the Land Development Agency, but they must be written in in order that its obligation to deliver will be clear.