Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to speak on the Bill. I welcome many aspects of it, which address the under provision of housing. It has become an acronym. We are addressing the issue, but things are not happening. More homes cannot be built because young couples living in the country who have sites and, in some cases, planning permission for housing cannot get money from banks. I will not say what one would not get from the banks. They will not approve any loans.

The Bill refers to accelerating social housing and improving the rental sector, which are noble objectives. I have been here for nine years and the crisis has been around for some time. We are discussing what we will and will not do. I was on the Committee on Housing and Homelessness, and compliment Deputy John Curran for his work. We are all talk and no action.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney, to the House and wish to refer to some matters that are his area of responsibility. The OPW is under his remit. The Bill proposes to introduce the streamlining of arrangements to enhance flood relief, which is badly needed. A flood will come and sweep some of the officials away. Tree-huggers, planners, the EPA, the NRA, TII and the whole lot of them were not to be seen last year when we were under water for months. They could not be found, they were in hibernation. One cannot cut a bus in a river or open an inlet.

I hope what is proposed works. I believe the Minister understands the situation. He is a quantity surveyor, and understands what needs to be done. We have to get rid of all the quangos. It will be some job because, as far as I can see, they have mushroomed.

The Bill will also enable the Minister to make payments from the local government fund, which is vital. Flood works were done in Clonmel, which were largely successful - I addressed the Minister of State about that last week. We will have to drain the rivers. We can build walls as high as the roof of the Chamber, but that would be a waste of time because dirt from roads and other wastage are flowing into them. They were always clean, but now because of certain environmental agencies they cannot be touched.

Having completed the new sewerage scheme, which cost €16 million, I met people in Clonmel who had made their living from the River Suir by selling eels to the now defunct Clonmel Arms. When we put in the treatment plant, the water was pristine - it was almost as clear as the glass I hold - but there was not an eel in the river, or any other kind of life either, including plant life. We need to check if the remedy and the medicine is worse than the pollution. However, this is not about pollution. I wish the Minister of State success in the many areas he has visited. He visited my county, for which I thank him, and listened to the people and their families and understood their language.

To get back to other aspects of the Bill, I want to refer to the building of more homes. With the permission of the Cathaoirleach, I wish to refer to a press release that I issued in desperation on 28 September 2015.

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