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

As far as I am concerned, this is a private developments charter. I cannot for the life of me understand why we are going down this road. Amendments Nos. 33 and 44 relate to the reduction from 20% to 10% in respect of the number of social and affordable units to which we are entitled under the Part V provision and to the increase in the number of units that constitutes a development from five or more to ten or more. This might fit into the mindset of Fine Gael, but I am disappointed with the Labour Party. This should have been a red-line issue for the Labour Party. It should never have agreed to it.

In the past, developers used every means possible to get out of meeting their obligations under Part V. We do not get this 20% social and affordable housing for nothing. We pay for it. One would think from the way this is being presented that we get that 20% social and affordable housing for nothing. That is not the case. In the past, land or money was exchanged instead of housing units, which caused major problems. In my own constituency, social and affordable housing units were not provided in particular areas because the developer did not want that type of housing in the area or because the developer felt he would get more money by not providing social housing there. That happened in many areas. Affordable housing delivered homes for people who could not afford housing in the private sector. I cannot understand why that obligation was removed by way of ministerial order. That, to me, does not make any sense.

I am at a loss to understand why we have gone down this road. I expect that the Minister of State's response will be that there is not enough building taking place and that this will incentivise building. I do not believe it will. I believe that people intent on building will do so. All these incentives will do is punish local people, as they will get no social and affordable housing, and put more money into the pockets of developers. This proposal is scandalous and should be re-examined. As I said, I do not understand why we are going down this road.

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