John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The model for the money made available to housing associations to build houses is based on the average rental values in counties. While that works quite well in Dublin and Cork, where rents are high, in counties such as my native County Kerry, housing associations are offered between €180,000 and €190,000 to build a three-bedroom house. They cannot do it for that money. We are trying to get programmes and proposals off the ground and associations such as Clúid and Respond! will not do it. The associated costs of development levies, water charges and Part V contributions amount to between €15,000 and €20,000. There are also the site development and ancillary costs, which make developing houses at that price unviable. The Department does allow an independent quantity surveyor to make an assessment and do a cost analysis, allowing a fair mark-up for the developer to build on that basis. That should be promoted in rural counties such as Kerry. For a housing association to come in and build houses it would need an average of €210,000 per house. That is what is needed to get projects off the ground. It happens in counties Cork and Dublin but we need to drive it on in rural counties. The Minister needs to consider that seriously to get supply under control.

Ruthless landlords are letting substandard properties. A family came to my clinic yesterday who had spent the entire week of the bad weather in one room in their house because it was the only one they could heat. It was pointless trying to heat the rest of the house because either the heating did not work or if it did, the house was so old and draughty that it was a pointless exercise. All houses should have a building energy rating, BER, certificate. State money is being given to landlords through the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and the housing assistance payment, HAP, or rent allowance. Landlords are getting money from the State to provide proper accommodation but that is not checked. The local authorities and Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection do not send out inspectors. Ruthless landlords are getting away with unacceptable practice. Most landlords do a very good job and I do not see why they should have to uphold standards while others get away with not doing that. Will the Minister of State make sure that local authorities send out inspectors where good State money is being paid? The Minister of State should look closely at those two issues, namely, supply and an acceptable standard in rented houses.

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