Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his further answer. To throw NAMA land into this issue confuses the matter because, as the Deputy knows, NAMA has security on the loans and not the land itself. That agency has been doing what it can to deliver housing on those portfolios of lands, working with the lenders and the debtors. Also, it has been offering properties for social housing where it has been in a position to do so.

We have a significant local authority landbank, which has already been earmarked for development of social housing homes. That is already under way. That is what the €6 billion behind Rebuilding Ireland is for. The Land Development Agency is something we have never had in this State previously, the bringing forward of large amounts of public land that is used very inefficiently, not for private developers but for our public State developer to develop. For the first time, we have this massive provision whereby 40% must be social and affordable homes on these sites. That does not mean that the other 60% will not be affordable - it will depend on the market rate and where they are being built - but what we will have is the bringing forward of public land for houses to be built for the general public. I do not see what is wrong with that. We have a responsibility to all our citizens in this Republic.

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