Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will have to come back to Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh on the details of the project. Yes, there is a role for enhanced investment in social housing, particularly at a time when we need stimulus programmes. We need to see some of those in the construction industry who have been long-term unemployed get back into employment. Under the recent stimulus programme my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, provided €50 million for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government for insulation retrofitting of local authority houses.

When I was on the other side of the House, Deputy Willie O’Dea’s late predecessor and my constituency colleague, Brian Lenihan, accepted my social dividend amendment to the NAMA legislation. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning are actively pursuing this matter with NAMA. One of the problems for NAMA is that many of the properties it has available are not necessarily in areas where people wish to live and some are in unfinished estates. There are ongoing active discussions on some properties which would provide good accommodation, particularly in major urban centres.

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