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

I too wish to support the Bill and thank Deputy Cowen for giving us the opportunity to highlight some of the blockages in the system and the things that need to be addressed. While I am in support of the Bill, we have to adhere to fire regulations. They cannot be relaxed and people's lives cannot be put in danger. We have to ensure that regulations are in place and builders comply with standards in Ireland. Local authorities will have to ensure that those standards are in place. I am sure Deputy Cowen is not suggesting otherwise.

I would be in favour of whatever would speed up the planning process. Incentives need to be put in place for the owners of properties. I do not agree with Deputies Barry and Boyd Barrett when they say they do not believe that anyone should make a profit. The truth is that if people do not have money they cannot refurbish, renew or make living quarters out of properties. There needs to be some incentive put in place, as is the case for those building private housing.

We need private builders to build houses, but they cannot do so because VAT and levies do not allow them to do so. If they build a house at a cost of €219,000, they make a profit of only €4,000 or €5,000. Given all of the rules and regulations, we cannot entice property developers or small builders to work for such low levels of profit. Instead, they are sitting back and waiting and will not play their part when there are no incentives to build.

NAMA and the banks own many vacant properties and should be tackled and compelled to release them. They should play their part. The Department should interact with local authorities and give them funding to buy and reopen units.

I have to praise the local authority in our county which has done great work in the past 12 months. Some rural cottages are lying idle and an evaluation of them needs to be carried out. People have asked me why houses are not being opened up and made available. We need to compel local authorities to evaluate all such properties and bring them into the market. People will live in them, but cannot do so until they are refurbished.

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