Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure why the party is so sensitive given how I could respond to what was said about the standing down of the affordable housing scheme in 2012. The reason for that was that few houses were being built, although they were affordable. Under Fianna Fáil, the cost of houses was very high and many people had bought at the top of the bubble and were in negative equity. Prices then dropped significantly at the bottom of the market. However, there is every reason to reintroduce the scheme now because prices are rocketing again and such a scheme is needed.

I agree with a number of Deputy Brassil's comments regarding the time it is taking to build on public land, in particular. As he said, schemes are moving at a snail's pace in his area and around the country. The Minister opened a welcome development on Edward Street in my constituency yesterday, to which Deputy Quinlivan referred. It comprises 81 lovely new homes but the planning permission for that was granted several years ago. When I was Minister, I allocated money for it but it is only coming on stream now. We need to address that. There are 700 publicly-owned sites comprising more than 1,700 ha. I understand that using a density of only 50 units per hectare that would be enough land to build more than 85,000 homes. That land is available and, according to the Government, the intention, in theory, is to have mixed-tenure social and affordable housing and perhaps not-so-affordable housing. We all know councillors in our own parties who are struggling to come up with plans that will be acceptable to the Department for the use of those sites. Reference has been made to the Poolbeg site and to St. Michael's Estate. I know a little about them and there is some positivity regarding Poolbeg but the difficulty is designing a scheme in which the homes will be affordable. With regard to St. Michael's Estate and other sites that the Dublin Deputies will be more familiar with, councillors are struggling to satisfy the Department to approve the number of social and affordable houses that people need.

My difficulty is that these sites are available to be used and there is an opportunity to build social and affordable housing if it is led property by Government. My fear is that the toing and froing between local authorities and Government is taking too long and the opportunity will be missed. Private developers will then come in and make profits while building very little social and affordable housing on these sites. I fully support council-led housing, including the cost rental model that has been proposed and that has been well fleshed out by the Nevin Institute and others. The Ó Cualann development is an excellent model. The council provided the sites at a cost of €1,000 each and installed the necessary infrastructure. The voluntary housing association was able to build in Poppintree and provide houses for €140,000 with the highest priced unit being a four-bedroom house for €219,000. This can be done.

9 o’clock

I know the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has said that he would like to see that model expanded, but it is on a very small scale at the moment.

I have one question for Sinn Féin. Why has Limerick been left out when the motion calls on the Government to "identify public sites in Cork, Waterford and Galway" for developments? Perhaps Sinn Féin thinks we already have them but I am not sure that we do. Perhaps Sinn Féin might respond to that question. That was my only question to Sinn Féin. We are happy to support the motion and we welcome the fact that our amendment is being accepted.

See this speech in context