Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has acknowledged that the problem with the housing situation is the lack of supply. Key to holding back supply is the cost of building. The special housing committee acknowledged this during the course of its deliberations. All known stakeholders in and experts on this area have also acknowledged it. Yet, remarkably, there is no specific Government research on construction costs. Nor is there a mention of addressing this issue in the plan. Like many others, I could talk all day about how the development levies of local authorities, the VAT content and the certification costs in terms of building regulations are impediments in this regard, but we need recommendations that are independent and can be backed up. We should not be depending on the industry to provide that information. Will the Minister of State consider committing to doing what we are asking?

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