Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this issue and I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House to reply to it and for his courtesy in bringing me up to date on this important project.

In 2003, Teagasc made available 15 hectares of land, approximately 38 acres, to Cork County Council to allow it build a housing scheme for the benefit of people in the affordable housing category. People in the west Cork area, in particular in the Clonakilty region, were very happy with this because they saw the opportunity of being able to afford a house of their own. Commercial housing in west Cork is prohibitively expensive. A site, for example, costs anything up to €250,000 and an ordinary three or four-bedroomed house costs from €500,000 to €750,000. If a house overlooks the sea, it costs in the region of €1 million. Young people cannot afford this kind of money. Even two people with relatively good public service jobs could not afford that kind of mortgage.

One might well ask what has happened with this gift to the council. Two years later, it seems that relatively little has happened. People, including myself, are extremely frustrated with the lack of progress. Clonakilty is a thriving town which has a superb business and technology park that employs approximately 450 people and is projected to employ 1,000. However, there is a shortage of affordable houses in the area.

Will the Minister inform me of the position on this scheme? The affordable housing scheme is attractive and inspired and I laud it. I am delighted all the social partners support it. Why is there lethargy in regard to this extremely laudable project and why is there such procrastination in its regard? I want the Minister of State to inculcate a sense of urgency with regard to this project. Will he take a personal interest in the matter?

With regard to the actual housing scheme, I ask that some flair and creativity be put into the project. We want a nice rural village in this location, a place called Darrara out by Ring village and about three miles from Clonakilty town. It would be nice to have some green areas and some playing pitches etc. We do not want intensive housing or high density old Ballymun-type development in the heart of what is a beautiful rural area. There is already a school and a church in the village, so it lends itself to a suitable village type proposal.

Will the Minister of State provide an update on this project and a timescale for the commencement and completion of work so that young people eligible for this category of housing can aspire to have their own homes, at least some time before the end of this decade. Judging by the rate of progress so far, we do not know when we will see the development of the project. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's up to date report on the matter.

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