Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is shocking that I am still contributing on the St. Kevin's site, which the LDA is now developing. The Minister is making comments about the site now, but if he wants to know the real facts of the situation he should know that for 20 years this site has lain idle under governments led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. If I had received the support of the Minister, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael eight years ago when I sought the development of this site, we would now have houses on it and people living there.

The whole issue with the LDA, this Minister and this Government is that they have failed to support local authorities and to invest in building houses. I live in Gurranabraher, which is a housing estate built by Cork City Council some 80 years ago. We know many such estates were built by local authorities around this State. This Minister and this Government, however, now want to take the power away from the local authorities. I welcome the development of the St. Kevin's site, but I want to see that development undertaken for social, affordable and affordable cost rental housing to allow people, especially those with young families, to have a start to buy a home. I say that because the housing crisis in Cork is unbelievable.

At the meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage yesterday, I asked a question about the expected affordable rates for the cost rental housing at the St. Kevin's site. I was told those rates would be between €900 and €1,100. I will explain to the Minister that most of the people whom I know in Cork looking for affordable rental housing will not find those rates for one-bedroom and two-bedroom housing to be affordable. I listened with interest to the Minister when he said that we must build sustainable and safe communities for people. We all have that aspiration and we want it to happen, but then I look at the LDA's non-existent public consultation. To educate the Minister a bit, the St. Kevin's site in Cork has only one entrance and exit, no access to public transport, no cycle lanes, and no investment in infrastructure, and that is because the community I represent in Cork North Central has been disadvantaged for years by governments led by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.

If we are going to undertake this development, let us do it right by putting in the infrastructure and making the resulting housing provision truly affordable. I say that because we were told at the presentation I attended that up to 40% of the site could be private housing. We want details and clarity regarding how much social, affordable and affordable cost rental housing will actually be delivered. I fail to understand why there is so much secrecy and why this information will not come out until after the planning permission has been approved. The Minister talked about transparency. How can we have transparency in a process when we will not find out the details until after the planning permission has been approved?

Turning to other issues I want to raise, the Minister talked about local government. This Bill will remove powers from local government and from democratically elected councillors of all parties and none. Those councillors were given a mandate and it must be respected. Local government powers have been eroded under this and previous governments and this endeavour is only more proof of that happening. I believe that local authorities are the bodies which should build social and affordable housing.

We are in the middle of a crisis where people are looking for hope. People want to see light at the end of the tunnel. I want to support a Government which will bring that about, but I do not think that the Minister is doing that and I know this Government is not. People need hope. I have been sending emails regarding the details involved in this initiative back and forth to the Land Development Agency for several weeks. I have been seeking even an estimate of how many social and affordable houses will be delivered. I conclude by stating the housing crisis needs innovative and ambitious solutions, but the LDA has not delivered one house yet and I do not believe that this Bill will speed things up. We must build houses now and invest in people.

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