Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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That is great. Councillor Gerry Warnock, with whom Mr. Mahon would be familiar, has contacted me on a number of occasions regarding the affordable housing scheme. Today I read an article published some weeks in the online edition of theLongford Leader. Initially, Longford was not in the scheme. Regarding the suggestion that we now have a scheme, I mean no disrespect but it is only a minute scheme. What is being suggested involves between 11 and 13 houses. While it is a start and I am not here to knock anyone, it is very disappointing. On the one hand, we have all these houses with planning permission referred to by Mr. Mahon and the market will not let them start while on the other, public representatives here, including my colleague to my left, Deputy Flaherty, make a really strong case for an affordable housing scheme. Deputy Dillon spoke earlier about the importance of young people and affordable housing so we know there is a demand and a need for affordable housing yet the best the Government can do is cough up some mini scheme that will be on a trial basis - a pilot scheme for 13 or 14 houses. It is not good enough. I do not know what sort of a gesture it is but it is not a meaningful one and Longford County Council is going to advertise and have expressions of interest. It will have a hell of a lot more expressions of interest than there are houses. What is Mr. Mahon's view on the scheme? Does he think there is the capacity? I know there is demand. Does Mr. Mahon think the scheme is ambitious enough? Does he think it is the right way to go? Does he think it cautious or slow?