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

The Minister of State's definition of "social housing" differs from mine. Part V was to deliver 20% social and affordable housing, but the Bill will limit that to 10%. "Social housing" is social housing that is given over to local authorities, not leased, yet the Government plans to allow for leasing arrangements. That is crazy. The State will lease a property from a developer for a period of ten or 15 years or whatever it is, after which time the property will return to the developer. As we know from the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and rent supplement, landlords have moved against people on leases. Tenants can be evicted from properties with nowhere to go.

That is undermining the whole idea of Part V but, as far as I can see, that is what is happening. It is absolutely mad that rather than delivering proper social housing, provision is being made for leasing arrangements. It beggars belief that we are fattening landlords up in this way. NAMA has leased out many properties. Local authorities and other interests have taken properties from NAMA under leases. That is what has built up the portfolio. NAMA has accumulated a big amount of money from all the leasing and other arrangements into which it has entered. In this case, a ministerial order is to be used to remove the affordable end of it, which would have helped many families across the board, particularly those in the least well-off areas of our society, by giving them cheap and affordable housing.

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