Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The key to anything that is titled "affordable" is that it should genuinely be affordable. In this case, we are taking about the provision of housing that is affordable for ordinary workers and families. That is the requirement against which this Bill will be measured in the coming months as it goes through all Stages. It is the standard against which it will be measured over the years, if it takes effect.

I would welcome a move by the State to deliver affordable housing for purchase and rent by people for whom housing is beyond their reach at this time. We have had affordable housing schemes before, some of which went to the wall during the crash. I recall one in Cherry Orchard, in my area, in which the houses were deemed affordable until the crash happened. Overnight, the council had to step in and buy all the houses, which were built on council lands using the serviced sites fund. The council said when it built the houses that they were super affordable but we argued that they should be available for cost-price purchase. The council said "No" and insisted the price would be €200,000. We argued that they cost €120,000 to build but the council refused to sell them at that price. Once the collapse in house prices happened, the council had to step in because it could not get anybody to buy the houses at the price it was asking.

Even with the provisions in this Bill, a large cohort of people in our society will remain locked out of housing because they earn too much to be on the social housing list or too little to qualify for affordable rental or affordable purchase. That will be the case even under the schemes set out by the Minister. One step the Government could take that would help many people is to increase the income threshold for social housing. If the Minister is genuine about dealing with this issue, he should make that announcement at the same time as he is advancing this Bill. It might increases the housing lists but it would enable local authorities, with State support, to build social housing and to then carry on, as this Bill intends, to deliver properly affordable houses for rent or purchase.

Níl tithíocht inacmhainne do na céadta míle sa Stát faoi láthair. Leis an múnla cost-rental atá luaite ag an Aire beidh 25% nó 30% de lacáiste ar chíos an mhargaidh i gceist. Tá aithne agam ar a lán daoine nach mbeadh an t-airgead acu chun íoc as teach i mBaile Formaid atá ar cíos ar bhreis is €2,000 sa mhí faoi láthair. Fiú leis an lacáiste, beifear ag caint faoi bhreis is €1,500. Is gá féachaint ar an gcéatadán atá luaite ag an Aire agus níos mó a dhéanamh. B'fhéidir gur féidir leis an Stát seasamh isteach agus 50% de lacáiste a chur ar fáil. Ní cóir go mbeadh muid ag cur sriain orainn féin sa chás seo.

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