Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The output last year of local authority housing was the highest for approximately 20 years. The waiting list did come down. I know how many are on it, although it is important to note that over 40% of what are called families on the social housing waiting list are single people. Huge amounts of money are being spent on new building, remedial works and regeneration schemes. With regard to St. Michael's and such estates, much of what we are doing is focused on quality. We do not want to build vast estates, as happened in the 1960s and 1970s, which are fine when handing over the keys but which create huge anti-social problems for the future.

In places such as St. Michael's and Fatima, it is better to have an integrated mixed development of private, social and affordable housing. That is the way forward——

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