Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government's objective is to achieve a normalised construction sector following a large economic crash that affected every sector, but none more so than the construction sector, with an impact on housing provision and so on. The Bill is just one mechanism for addressing regeneration and housing provision in urban areas.

As to the wider debate on housing, local authorities are being provided funding to build again, to restore voids to use, etc. Approved housing bodies, AHBs, will also play a role. It would be negligent of us all were we not to recognise the issues of viability in the construction sector. The thrust behind reducing development levies is to take these issues into account where high, but previously appropriate, development levies are no longer appropriate. Levies affect construction's ability to deliver what we want, that being, houses. We cannot ignore this fact and are working to address it.

I outlined the landbanks issue to Deputy Wallace. He is well aware that local authorities have powers to zone their lands and development plans. They have dezoned land across the country where landbanks were inappropriately zoned and contributed to the crash. I welcome the fact that local authorities are engaging in sequential zoning in a planned and appropriate manner. This power is available to local authorities.

In this autumn's planning (No. 2) Bill, we will consider additional measures to address the genuine concerns raised by Deputy Wallace about the hoarding of land. We must be cognisant of property rights and the Constitution. We are opposing the amendment.

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