Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To resume from where I left off in my contribution on the previous day, I would like to note some of the points made in a recent Irish Examinerarticle by Rory Hearne entitled "Homeownership will remain a pipe dream for Generation Rent". His article articulated many of the points that many of us in the Opposition have put forward against this inadequate Bill. He states that the Land Development Agency, LDA, is being tasked to pursue two conflicting objectives - becoming a developer of public land while purporting to be increasing availability of affordable homes.It is clear that the Bill will make the LDA the Trojan Horse that the Government wants to siphon off any remaining public land.

Section 22 of the Bill provides for the disclosure of interests of board members, staff of the agency or subsidiary designated activity company staff. Will the Minister of State indicate if that will include a register of properties? Will the register be looking at whether anyone involved in the LDA is a landlord? Surely it will be difficult for him to fill a board and staffing complement without any of the Government’s landlord friends.

This is a class issue. The housing and homelessness crisis is a direct result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael policies over decades. It was a case of profits for the few rather than homes for the many. That has been the one objective of Government policy, probably since the late 1970s or early 1980s, and every Government since that time has participated in it.

Part 8 of the Bill will provide for compulsory purchase orders. The compulsory purchase practice is out there already but local authorities will not use it, and they will not use it for housing purposes either. They should be available but the Minister of State is going to give them to the LDA, which will use them for its developer friends.

If the tone of this speech sounds fed up, it is because I am fed up. I am truly fed up with the inaction of this Government and previous Governments, their neoliberal policies, their commodification of housing and their financialisation of a human right. While Donegal may not be experiencing the worst of the housing crisis, it is still an issue in that county. People are living in overcrowded accommodation and waiting years for homes. We know that people in domestic violence refuges and in direct provision centres are not included in official homeless figures but these would add to Donegal’s overall need for public and affordable housing. Our rents may be among the lowest in the country but so is our income. Disposable income is lowest in Donegal and highest in Dublin so comparatively rent can still be unaffordable for many.

There is a serious issue in Donegal now where people who were in the process of purchasing a home and may have received a loan offer are now off work and in receipt of a Covid payment. Their original loan offers will expire within three or six months and will require updated income details. That will cause many house sales to fall through. People who are purchasing their homes through the council incremental purchase scheme have offers valid for 12 months but because of the crisis that 12 months is not long enough. Credit unions, banks, etc. will not even look at their applications for a loan without current payslips and will not take into account details of income prior to lockdowns. That is fair enough. It has been outlined many times in the House that it is about ability to pay and therefore the banks have to act responsibly but the councils should act responsibly as well because it takes a very long time to get approval for the council purchase scheme. The approval should continue past the 12 months duration. That small step would ensure people can purchase a home.

This Bill should be about empowering local authorities and empowering communities. It should not be about empowering developers and the private sector but, unfortunately, that is what this Government leans towards.

See this speech in context