Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank the Minister for introducing amendments Nos. 9 and 14, which go a good way to meeting the objectives of the amendments Deputy Duffy and I previously submitted. This shows that if parties and Members are willing to work with the Minister to improve this legislation, and they are committed to delivering badly needed housing at scale that is affordable and well-designed, then the Minister is willing to work with them.

I want to comment on the role the Oireachtas housing committee played in this. We had five or six sessions in which we examined the pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Bill. We invited a large number of witnesses from approved housing bodies, the County and City Management Association, the Housing Agency and the Land Development Agency. I asked each of those witnesses whether they were satisfied with the general scheme of the Bill and they all said they were. Those people are right at the forefront of the delivery of housing and have been for many years.

Today, amendments have been introduced regarding public private partnerships and we have had Deputy Boyd Barrett talking about ideology. The argument is being made that there should be no private investor involvement in producing housing in this country.

That is ridiculous. It is an ideology and it will not work. We of course need investment and private investment to produce housing. We have introduced limited equity return in respect of cost rental, because that is the model which works. It is spoofing coming here and saying that is not what should be done.

Deputy Ó Broin talked about a public private partnership not being the model to be used. His line this week is that is not the right model. Last week, his line was that the Land Development Agency, LDA, should not be involved in delivering housing. That is what he said on Committee Stage in respect of this legislation. He is suggesting that we direct the Land Development Agency away from delivering housing. Therefore, we will have no private investment, no public private partnerships and the LDA will not be building houses. Deputy Ó Broin instead referred to the local authorities and the approved housing bodies, AHBs, delivering houses.

This week in Bray, Wicklow Sinn Féin members voted against a local authority-led affordable housing scheme. It consists of 18 units which are badly needed in the town. I constantly get phone calls and emails from people asking me when these houses are going to be delivered. I worked on this initiative from the start, because I was a county councillor at the time. This project came before the council as a Part 8 development and Sinn Féin voted against it. Members of the party are also voting against other local authority housing and affordable housing schemes across the country. It has happened in the Minister’s constituency. Therefore, I do not think that Sinn Féin wants to deliver housing at all. I think the party wants to delay the delivery of housing, because the more delay there is, the better it will be for it. Sinn Féin should be more honest with people and in this Chamber.

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