Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

When I tabled a question on the cross-departmental team on housing, infrastructure and public private partnerships, I was thinking about the report of the National Economic and Social Council, Housing in Ireland, Performance and Policy, which recommended in 2004 an additional 73,000 social housing units to be produced between 2007 and 2012, roughly 10,000 a year. Will the Taoiseach acknowledge that he just cannot keep his word on that? In 2005, 6,477 social housing units were provided, slightly up on 2004.

The Taoiseach cannot keep his word on the quantity so what will he do about the quality? Will he insist upon energy efficiency as a requirement for local authorities, an area where Fingal County Council has given leadership? Is the Taoiseach considering the need to reverse the decision the Government made to allow developers to pay cash to local authorities instead of building social houses? Has the Taoiseach evaluated that decision?

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