Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Will the Minister of State provide funding to local authorities and remove the shackles that have been imposed on them? The four stages of approval demanded by the Department take too long and funding is not filtering down to local authorities. It has been suggested that local authorities, including ours, are not able to build houses because they have lost their way. The previous Taoiseach said that - as did Deputy O'Dowd in recent days - but I will contradict him. Local authorities can and will build houses if the Government gives them the money.

I will give an example. At least 25 rural cottages are demanded in Kerry. We will only build seven this year. If the local authority had the money, it would build all 25. It has the land and could put the contracts out to tender, but it will not do so because it does not have the money. The situation is as clear as that. Private builders will not build either. I will give an example. On a house that costs €210,000, more than €80,000 in levies and VAT is collected by the State. The Government should be able to do something about that, for example, make those payments in instalments down the line.

The HAP system is not as good as the rent allowance or RAS. Many-----

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