Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have been discussing the serious shortfall in funding for local authorities, which is all well and good. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has always considered regeneration projects and the Minister of State referred to the use of some of the proceeds from the vacant site levy for regeneration and other purposes. Will funding for other Departments be reduced to make up for the levy? I do not know how long it will take under the current system to build up a fund that would be worthwhile in terms of delivering housing. However, once a certain amount has accumulated, the priority must be to deliver social housing. Local authorities have land and we should invest in building social housing. This is the main issue in the current housing crisis.

The Government has promised on numerous occasions to provide rent certainty for the large numbers of people who are renting. I have been arguing for a long time that rent certainty is urgently required, yet we are still waiting for legislation on the issue. Despite the severe crisis in the rental market, the Government is proposing to direct the proceeds of a levy into a number of areas for which funding has already been provided. Will it not make a clear-cut statement that the money will be allocated exclusively for social housing? That is all we are asking.

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