Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 23 January 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Update on Affordable Homes, Public Lands, Strategic Planning and Projects: Land Development Agency

Mr. John Coleman:

I would accept that. Regarding the North Quays scheme, we have engaged with the local authority and its chief executive extensively on that. We have seen the site for ourselves and we know it quite well and have a high regard for it and for what the local authority is trying to achieve there. We think we have a role in making that happen. Regarding how that could look, if a developer has been selected, and we are not part of that process, we could play a role through forward funding arrangements funding the developer to deliver that scheme for cost rental. There is also an opportunity there similar to what we are looking at with Horgan's Quay in Cork to ask whether an element of these could be made available to owner occupiers through the Croí Cónaithe scheme. That is something we would always be open to as well. Our role in that could involve us underwriting so that if 100 people do not show up on the day in three years' time when they are built with mortgages to buy the homes, the LDA will be there to take them in as cost rental or sell them on itself. That is the type of role the LDA plays in that situation. We are interested in that scheme and have written to the local authority to express our interest and support.