Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. Some of the information she provided is useful but she has sidestepped my main point. What County Laois needs is a substantial social housing programme. Significant land parcels are in the council’s ownership, such as five acres in Portlaoise and two acres in Portarlington. A further 23 acres in Mountrath, Rathdowney, Durrow and Ballinakill are in the ownership of the Housing and Sustainable Communities Limited, the NAMA for local authorities set up several years ago. These could be transferred back to Laois County Council, giving a total of 30 acres of land available for housing. A small fortune is paid out in rent supplement in the county while there is a need for social housing with 1,450 on the waiting list. Will the Minister approve a social housing building programme for the county as it would be a win-win situation in dealing with the housing list and providing employment for the large number of unemployed building workers in the county?

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