Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Mr. Whelan and I discussed social and affordable houses as I was finishing up in the first round. The failure to deliver more social houses over the previous years has unfortunately led us into the housing crisis we are in now. My concern is that the delivery of affordable houses is exclusively focused on the large urban areas, unfortunately, and coastal communities are completely overlooked in this discussion. They face an unique housing pressure, competing in an international marketplace for housing that is unfortunately often used on a seasonal basis as well. Can I ask both agencies whether focusing on tackling this issue, working with local authorities and housing bodies, to identify smaller scale projects in coastal communities have a real, meaningful impact and ensure these communities are sustainable for the future? Unfortunately, a lot of these communities are dying on their feet.