Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will agree that dramatic decrease in one-off house construction was due to a number of reasons, primary among them the economic consequences of the crash and access to credit for young people who wanted to build homes on their own land. It is not entirely due to the cost of regulations but the Minister and I have undertaken to review the regulations after one year. I met all the stakeholders in the Custom House and I listened carefully to their concerns. A number of detailed submissions have been made and they are currently being reviewed and analysed. We will be considering them further in the coming weeks and I hope to respond appropriately to any concerns. We must be conscious of the need for quality and sustainability in housing construction, as well as learn from the mistakes of the past, but I acknowledge that genuine concerns arise and I will endeavour to address them.

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