Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The lady Deputy Gould mentioned and many others whom I meet on a regular basis are stuck in a rental trap. That is why Government is introducing measures such as the Affordable Housing Bill, which I hope Deputies will support. We will bring forward a national cost rental scheme under primary legislation for the first time that will bring for the first time in over a decade direct build, affordable purchase homes. We are increasing the Part V provisions from 10% to 20% to encompass affordable housing. We will bring forward our shared equity scheme, which will enable people to get on the housing ladder at an affordable rate. I hope the Deputies will support those measures. Deputy Gould at his public meetings with Deputy Ó Broin needs to explain that they do not want the Land Development Agency to build any homes or plan to build any homes. That is the position they have set out. That is fine and they are entitled to that position. I do not have to agree with it, but I respect that position.

I have explained very clearly that I cannot and should not accept these amendments because we need to deliver homes for our people in places such as Donabate and St. Kevin's in Cork with which Deputy Gould is very familiar. When people look at all these sites across the country, they ask why they have not been developed yet. This Bill will help develop out some of the sites of strategic importance throughout the country to deliver homes for people.

We have had the recent example of some of the Opposition parties voting against 238 affordable homes, 238 social homes and 150 cost rental homes. They have opposed real developments that we could get on and build.

I reiterate that the Land Development Agency will be responsible for developing State-owned land in the main for the provision of social and affordable housing, cost rental housing and in some instances, in some areas of the country, private housing where that is required. We spoke earlier about segregation and members not wanting to have segregated developments or communities. Of course, we do not want that. We want to have integrated communities.

We fundamentally differ here. The Government wants a Land Development Agency that will deliver homes. Regardless of what is stated in these amendments, the Deputies have already made it clear from our hearings last week that they do not want a Land Development Agency that will build any homes. That is fine. That is their position. I oppose the amendments.