Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 20 January 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Land Development Agency: Chairman Designate

Mr. Cormac O'Rourke:

As I said to the Deputy earlier, we cannot tell him what the cost of cost rental will be. The tenders are still being evaluated and they still have to go through approval with the Government, so I cannot tell him that. I have been in and around engineering and construction for most of my life. Until somebody agrees to build something for a price, we have no guarantee on what that price is.

As to the mix between differential rent and cost rental, as I said, that is primarily a matter of policy for Government. I agree with the Deputy that, at €490,000 for the average price in Dun Laoghaire, that is not affordable to any of the cohort. It does not matter what magic we bring to bear on it; it is not going to result in an affordable rent.