Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

It could, but that is not the purpose of Part V. In many areas houses are not unaffordable. The affordability problem is in the greater urban areas. The 2001 Act related to zoned land on the basis that that was where the affordability problem lay and where there was a demand for affordable homes. There is probably only another year or so of planning permissions that got approval before the new Bill came through. As those old planning permissions die out, Part V will apply to everything.

The Deputy mentioned that an income of €67,000 would be required to get into the affordable housing market. That would be the case for a single person seeking to buy a three-bedroom family house. One can play around with statistics and make the figures look ridiculous if one likes. It is usually couples who seek three bedroom semi-detached houses. Relatively ordinary people earning €35,000 or €40,000 would, as a couple, reach the amount cited by Deputy O'Dowd. A single person with only one income would not normally buy a three bedroom semi-detached house. That is not the market for which we are trying to cater. Last year, 2,200 housing units were built and we expect an increase of between 50% and 60% on that figure this year. Part V will be a significant source of social and affordable housing in the future.

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