Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I pay tribute to Deputy Barry Cowen for bringing forward the Bill because this is the one issue on which people want to see real progress. In fairness, there is genuine goodwill in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government towards the work of Ministers and hope people will all pull together. The Minister's comments were fair, constructive and very helpful, even when he was probing the clauses on sub-division and trying to make sure any proposal would not have undesired consequences. I have seen poor examples of where loopholes were exposed. Therefore, probing the Bill to get the right result and have the Government pull with us is positive.

On the objectives of the Bill, I spoke last week to the motion on housing and about the targets the Taoiseach had set out earlier that day in the Chamber. Central to them is the core issue of deliverability and whether what is planned and envisaged can realistically be achieved. Using everything at our disposal, as envisaged in the Bill, is key. The number of vacant units above commercial properties in urban centres across the country is pronounced, but it is important to say many local authorities have conducted extensive work in researching the square footage available in order that they can demonstrate to statutory bodies the office space available when pitching on the opportunities available. Of course, the open plan office space required by major modern companies working with IDA Ireland or others makes the units in old urban centres redundant as they do not meet what companies want today. That is the reason we have the available opportunities, as envisaged. There are many aspects to consider when it comes to the suitability of buildings for use as residential dwellings. In that regard, fire safety standards will have to be met. However, we all should recognise that town centre living is actually an implicit objective of many development plans across the country. In our own development plan in County Meath and specifically Navan going back over 20 years the main objective, when we were young councillors, was to see town centre living actively promoted as something that was vibrant. What I learned during that period was that the policy conceived in forward looking planning sections of councils and its implementation on the ground were often solar systems apart for one very simple reason. An idea is always just an idea unless someone picks up the ball and runs with it. Listening to the Simon Community earlier this week I could see that what we needed to see to tackle the housing emergency were ideas such as this that utilised existing stock to tackle the needs of people in the here and now. We have an opportunity, if done correctly, to work in tandem with the broad objectives of city and town development plans and actually achieve the lofty aims that are often spoken about but that never come to life. It would involve people living in town centres and replicating some of the success stories elsewhere. Here in the midst of the crisis is perhaps the focus needed to accomplish this objective.

Deputy Barry Cowen mentioned the statistic of 15% of vacant properties nationwide. I look at the position in my county. During an Oireachtas briefing we learned that there were 1,583 vacant residential properties in County Meath, of which 600 were to be found in half a dozen towns. This figure does not take account of the vacant commercial space on upper floors referred to by Deputy Barry Cowen. Therefore, if we can make advancements on this and the commercial front, it will be a good day's work. I implore the Government to work constructively to achieve that end. The towns in my county fought bravely through the dark years of recession. In case anyone who listened to earlier proceedings when Deputy Peadar Tóibín spoke about burned out streets in Navan thinks An Uaimh is crumbling, I pay tribute to the brave new businesses that opened in the past month on Metges Lane, Bridge Street, Brews Hill and Kennedy Road. Perhaps when Deputy Peadar Tóibín is painting a picture of our home town in the future, he might show the full picture, with all of its colours, the bright colours, as well as the greys and blacks with which he and his colleagues in Sinn Féin like to paint.

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