Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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My question is for the LDA and plans to accelerate public land transfers in places like Laois. Despite the fact that roughly 2,500 homes were built in the last number of years in the county, we still have 1,164 people or families on the social housing list for Laois. Four years ago, in 2021, that figure was pretty much the same so all of the building that has gone on has not met the need for social housing. The bigger problem is the affordability of houses and the individuals in Laois who are locked out of both social and private housing because house prices have gotten way too expensive. We need to meet the housing needs of people in Laois, particularly with regard to social and affordable housing. I see from the opening statement that there are plans for 900 new homes on one available site. How many of those 900 homes are going to be social or actually affordable for the families of Laois? Are we looking at a mix of purchase and affordable cost rental on this site?

It is said it was a HSE site. When is it expected that the lands will be transferred from the HSE and when are more detailed plans on this expected?