John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to bring forward a few thoughts as to why we are continually making announcements on re-launches of housing plans and are falling short of our targets every time. It is an unending circle.

For example, this time last year, a repair-and-lease scheme was announced under which disused properties in towns and villages and, indeed, in countryside were to be brought back into use. A loan of €40,000 would be given to a homeowner to do up a property, which would, in turn, be given back to the local authority to house one of its clients. In Kerry, exactly 12 months on - and I have no doubt it is the case all over the country - the total number of houses renovated under the scheme is zero. The scheme is tied up in bureaucracy and red tape, even though numerous people are looking to have their properties done up and taken over and not one house has been finished. It has been an abject failure of the system. I do not know if the scheme is caught up in bureaucracy within the Department or the local authority or a combination of both but surely be to God when a property is empty and the owner is willing to put it into the system, 12 months is enough time to get this to work. The Minister needs to cut through the red tape, which is stifling every initiative.

Reference was made to available land banks. How many properties have been built on the land banks owned by local authorities over the past number of years even though each local authority is crying out for houses? No affordable scheme has been provided. Could they think about selling off sites to people who are willing to buy them at a low cost and allowing them to build their own properties? A great deal of land is available but nothing is happening.

There is little development in the private sector because the banks are not lending. The distressed properties they hold are increasing in value every day while the housing crisis continues. It is in their interest to retain these properties to maximise their value before they lend to developers to build houses. We have a share in the banks since we bailed them out but the Government is permitting them to do this. We can come into the House week in, week out to discuss launches and policies. Let us cut through the red tape and build some houses.

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