Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this matter to be discussed. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, who has made himself available to take this debate.

I am raising this matter out of deep frustration with the fact that while 15 hectares of suitable land was made available to Cork County Council for an affordable housing scheme two and a half years ago, little or no progress has since been made. In the meantime, young people, many of whom are on reasonable salaries, cannot afford to acquire houses of their own. In the west Cork region, sites typically cost between €200,000 and €250,000 and houses cost between €450,000 and €750,000. In a recent survey, Clonakilty was deemed to be the most expensive part of the country, including Dublin city and elsewhere.

These young people who want their own homes call to me as their representative and ask me what the Government is doing about the lack of progress, to which I reply that the local authority has a difficulty. In the worst example of rural snobbery I have encountered in 30 years in public life, Fine Gael tried to stymie this development. In June, however, a clear majority of Cork County Council voted in favour of the project notwithstanding a minority of Fine Gael councillors who voted against it out of pure snobbery.

These young people are fine citizens. They work locally and want nothing more than their own homes. The council received the land as a gift from Teagasc, but it is frustrating and reprehensible that, on the face of it, nothing has been done. I have been told by council officials that this matter must go through a section 8 process. The scenic route taken is baffling. After June, there should have been no significant problem. I was told that the matter needed to be advertised in various journals, but I have yet to see any advertisement. We are approaching the middle of October and Christmas advertisements are already in the newspapers.

Fair play to the Minister of State, who went to the trouble of visiting the site on foot of my report that nothing was happening locally. I ask that he instruct the housing authority to take this matter seriously and give it priority. It will be a lovely eco-village of 100 houses with playing pitches and all sorts of amenities. It is a crying shame that it is not currently going ahead. I would appreciate positive news from the Minister of State, who was kind enough to appear in the House in response to my raising this matter.

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