Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

There is another problem with the PPP arrangements that the Minister seems to be prioritising. Others have mentioned the M50 toll road and how much taxpayers paid for it. The Minister of State mentioned Respond! and other housing agencies. While I have no specific problem with any particular housing agency, I have a major problem if the Minister of State is directing that all house building is to come from housing agencies. These agencies are not accountable to the councillors elected by the people. We can challenge local authorities and work with their housing departments on issues affecting people, including council tenants. It is a further privatisation of the house building programme. The Minister of State may be unaware of another difficulty with the housing agencies, including Respond! and NABCO. Once they have built estates, housing agencies do not have funds to carry out repairs, and sometimes they do not have funds to finish the estates. Why will the Minister of State not allow councils to apply for funds in the same way as the housing agencies?

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