Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

There were clear advantages in accepting off-site provision, in cases where one or two social or affordable units would be provided in a very expensive area of a city as opposed to multiple units elsewhere. This was just one of the impediments to achieving maximum output and it could not be ignored. A Government committed to enabling home ownership for as many people as possible could not turn a blind eye to the problem. Consequently, an undertaking to review the Planning and Development Act was included in An Agreed Programme for Government in 2002. The review was to ensure that Part V met its objectives for social and affordable housing.

My Department undertook the review in consultation with a wide range of interested bodies——

See this speech in context