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

I have called this an incentive because there are large incentives for developers throughout the Bill. The proposed vacant site levy, which the amendments address, will reduce the levy for developers with outstanding loans on or negative equity in their sites. Developers in NAMA, receivership or negative equity could be exempted. That is the sum total.

The lands in question are needed urgently. In fact, we should be taking them over. In my area of Dublin 15, for example, not one social house is due to be built by Fingal County Council, which covers an area of 100,000 people. However, NAMA has control of a number of sites where houses are being built or have received planning permission and are due to be built. None of these houses will come into the hands of people on the housing waiting list or workers who cannot get on that list and are priced out of the market. Despite this, loopholes are being written for developers.

The Bill makes retrospective the development contribution cuts that have been made by local authorities in order to incentivise developers. A number of cuts were made by Fingal County Council while I was a member of it before being elected to the Dáil a year or so ago. Loads of councils have made cuts. The Government is saying that this should be encouraged and councils should do more.

Relying on developers is a failed policy. Many of them are dysfunctional and not in a position to provide social or private housing even if we wanted them to. This provision will disappoint many people.

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