Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. The reason we have been pushing for this is to try to deliver projects quicker. I welcome the streamlining in the process which is something we have called for as well in relation to design. When all of that is pulled together it would be worth bringing it to the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, potentially tomorrow. I do not know whether the Minister is ready to provide an update on Rebuilding Ireland.

It is not true to say that local authorities do not want this; there is a particular reason for that. It is because of the liabilities that may be foisted upon them. The only reason is the financial stick that is hanging over them. I believe many local authorities would be in a position to deliver projects quicker if they were allowed to do it themselves with oversight from the Department. The sum of €6 million was a mid-point. We would go further, namely, to €10 million, in particular in local authorities' that have large housing waiting lists. We are looking at more than 130,000 people currently. If we keep building at the current rate, we are not going to keep up with the demand and we will not start eating into those lists. I am talking about building social houses, not buying existing built stock. We must get back into building and building quicker and delivering quicker.

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