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

The Minister of State mentioned that he lived in an estate and that the same people come to see him. I suggest that he and his party are out of touch with the reality. The Minister of State mentioned funding.

There was no problem chasing after Irish Water and taking €1 billion out of the pension fund. The strategic investment fund is still there and there is over €7 million in it if the Government is looking for money. We have had four years under this Government in which this crisis has been getting worse and worse. Local authorities also gave over land when it came to Part V. They gave land free to the developers in return for housing. Infill sites were used quite a lot in my area to deliver social and affordable housing. Other European countries have 20% and 30% in their rules and regulations, so why are we going down this road? Why are we lowering our guidelines on the number of units? Previously, developments of five units and upward would come under Part V but now the lower limit is ten. What is the logic for that? It does not make sense.

I do not know where the Housing Agency and others are coming from in giving that guidance because everyone I listen to, including all the different housing bodies - I have met with nearly every one of them, including Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust - is finding this very difficult to understand. I do not know where these people are coming from and questions must be asked about how they are coming to their conclusions so that the Government can drop Part V in the way it has.

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