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

Deputy Paul Murphy asks if someone is just sloganeering. I thank him for his question. I say that in jest and honestly do not mean any disrespect. The programme for Government commits the State to playing a greater part in the provision of affordable and social housing, with a focus on those earning low and middle incomes and the development of sustainable mixed-tenure communities.

These principles will guide our housing policy and the work of the Land Development Agency, LDA, in assembling strategic sites in urban areas and ensuring the sustainable development of social and affordable homes for rent and purchase. This will include ensuring that public housing rental stock on public land is under the control of local authorities, approved housing bodies or other similar bodies.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued an update to the public spending code in October 2019 to include a requirement that prior to seeking approval from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to dispose of lands and buildings on the open market, all non-commercial State bodies must first consult with the LDA on the appropriate disposal of those lands. I will further strengthen that requirement by way of the commitment in the programme for Government that any State lands being offered for sale will automatically be offered first to the LDA, which will be a very different agency from what was previously proposed. This will mean that if such lands can be acquired by the LDA, it will acquire them, thereby ensuring they remain in the ownership of the State and are used to provide appropriate housing. I intend for that LDA legislation to come to the House in the next session. My Department and I are working on it with Cabinet colleagues. As I said, I want to see public homes on public land.

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