Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak. A few years ago, I think it was the second to last Government that got rid of bedsits in Dublin. That is when the housing problem became exacerbated in the city. We did not have that problem. Bedsits, as I understand it, are or were in cities. A single man or woman rented such a place to tide him or her over, as Deputy Michael Healy-Rae said, at a certain stage in their lives. When those people moved on and got into a family situation, they needed a bigger house.

It is amazing to think that the Government is considering going backwards and building apartments that are not much bigger than butter boxes. If we are to move forward, we must improve. From reading everything and listening to everyone, I think that the Minister was against this type of living space when he was in opposition but now he is in favour of it. It is hard to understand what is going on. Different things happen when people get into government and they forget what got them there in the first place.

In County Kerry, we do not have a problem with this but we have many people trying to put a roof over their own heads who are being stopped by serial objectors. I appeal to the Government to do something about these serial objectors because they have stopped many people who just wanted one thing, namely, to get planning to build a house legally for themselves and put a roof over their heads. They were not stopped by the council. Maybe the rules and regulations were tough but, in many cases, local authorities granted planning permission. However, their decisions were appealed by serial objectors, An Bord Pleanála turned them down and the people involved lost the chance of putting a roof over their heads in the places they wanted to do so. I am glad I got to say that.

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