Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On the face of it the shared equity scheme looks like it would be very welcome in the market. Anything that will help first-time buyers is welcome. I have been involved in construction all of my life. I can see the failure for many generations of not supplying houses in Limerick and the surrounding areas. When speaking to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, last week I told him that 60% of the towns and villages in Limerick have inadequate water supply and 73% have inadequate sewerage systems. I have previously mentioned Askeaton, which is 30 years waiting for a sewerage plant. Oola is ten years waiting for a plant. None of our towns and villages can be built up owing to a lack of infrastructure. All of the Land Development Agency's land holdings are city based. There is no land holding outside of the cities. We need rural development funds to be used to rebuild our towns and villages.

I have heard Deputies speak today about houses that cost €600,000 to build. The Limerick 2030 plan was put in place to support the county council to build houses. Up to now, the county councils have not been able to provide houses for people. Many have spoken here today about the failure of them not being able to do it. They do not have the capacity to do it and so we need to look to developers to build houses quickly and efficiently in order that we can get people into houses. We need to build houses, but that build cannot all be city-based. We need houses in our towns and villages because without them our schools, hardware shops and GAA facilities will close.

See this speech in context