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

Demountable homes have been vital where an old house fell into disrepair or became uninhabitable for those aged 50 and 60 and above and who, in no circumstance, would or could leave their own place. They want to stay in the places they were born and reared. All these people would provide a site for a demountable home. Councillor Johnny Healy-Rae said at last Monday's meeting of Kerry County Council that these people will only leave their home places in a hearse. That is a fact. These units have always provided comfort, a bit of heat, security, and safety from the elements and vermin and they still can. As to rural cottages, only three have been built in Kerry in the last nine years. From 2016 to 2021, ten are to be built. However, there are 35 to 40 more people on the waiting list for these rural cottages. These people will provide a site of their own. They want to live near their parents and their family and to work on their farms but the Department has agreed to fund only ten of these up to 2021. Do we have any funding for housing? If the Government does not, I ask the Taoiseach to spell that out. We would all understand.

Clearly, these people are providing almost half the cost of housing themselves. They are providing the site. In 2015, the Government announced €62.5 million for housing in Kerry. It never told us by when it would be spent. Will it last until 2030?

Rural cottages have been an integral part of rural Ireland since the foundation of the State, but in particular since the 1960s. Is this aligned with the famous Project Ireland 2040 where planning permission will only be granted in rural areas if the development does not detract from the greater urban areas? For instance, Kerry County Council granted permission to a person to build a house on his own place, being a favoured nephew, and it was appealed to An Bord Pleanála by one of these serial objectors. An Bord Pleanála came back and said that, at 6 km, where he was proposing to build his house was too far away to go to his place of work. That is a fact.

These rural cottages almost always end up costing tenants, as they have almost always bought them because they are on their own land and they do not like to see anyone else coming into their own land. It is only a loan, as the houses have been built to standard, and when the tenants have got on their feet, they have bought them out.

Is the Government trying to move all the people into Dublin or into the urban areas? That is what I am asking.

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