Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of finance for small builders and contractors. A number of small builders and contractors in my Limerick constituency have raised with me the issue that Home Building Finance Ireland will provide funding only for schemes of five houses or more. We know that small builders will be the engine for the delivery of value for money housing as we try and get more housing units, particularly social and affordable housing units, up and running. The financing scheme should be amended to allow building schemes of two, three and four units to be built and they should be financed accordingly.

I also raise the issue of homelessness in my constituency of County Limerick. Much of the debate and discussion about homelessness has focused on cities and urban-based homelessness but I have a particular issue in my constituency where I feel the Department and the local authority are not providing enough of a service and outreach in rural County Limerick. I am dealing with four cases where people are sleeping rough or in their cars. There is a need to better fund the homeless action team in Limerick City and County Council to deal with this issue.

Linked to the issue of homelessness, there is an acute shortage of one-bed, small type accommodation in Limerick, particularly for vulnerable men who have come from broken marriages or have other issues and find themselves on the local authority waiting list. We need a focus on that.

I also mention the issue of student accommodation at the University of Limerick. This issue also arises in other parts of the country, such as Tralee and other areas of student accommodation, but I am interested particularly in the University of Limerick. Yesterday, the governing authority recommended to itself, because it wholly owns a company that operates the student accommodation, that refunds should be given to students. They have a complex corporate web of ownership and it is laughable. I would like the Minister of State, his colleagues or the Government to take a position on this matter.

A housing scheme in Hospital in my constituency in Limerick got Part 8 planning for 26 houses.

A contract has been signed with a contractor. He is now only going to build nine houses because Irish Water has decided it cannot service the site. It has gone through the planning process and the procurement process. Irish Water is now coughing up problems and 16 families are going to lose out. I would like the Department to look into this. I ask the Minister of State get back to me in his own time in writing with replies to those issues.

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