Dáil debates

Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Social and Affordable Housing Funding

11:30 am

Photo of Imelda MunsterImelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

No, it was not. It is the same old spiel every time. The reply referred to the 50 acres of council-owned land that are lying barren of houses. A speaker earlier referred to the fact that the Government is eight years in government. Is the Minister of State aware that Louth County Council has been paying millions out of its budget every year in interest on the landbanks? Is he also aware that the council has consistently asked the Department for funding for the roll-out of social and affordable housing? What is the point in having landbanks or the Minister collating the location of landbanks if after eight years funding has not been released? One could build upwards of 800 houses on those landbanks if the political will was there. However, the reality is the political will is not there and the Government does not believe in social housing. The Minister talked about the Land Development Agency. That is the biggest farce he ever came up with, out of all the spiel he has given in the midst of the housing emergency. It is an insult.

There is one particular family of four or five sharing one room in emergency accommodation and they have been there for months.

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