Dáil debates

Tuesday, 21 September 2021

Planning and Development (Amendment) (20 per cent Provision of Social and Affordable Housing) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

8:55 pm

Photo of Mairead FarrellMairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, on bringing forward this Bill here. I also acknowledge the Government is not opposing it. We have a very significant affordability issue. This is something we are all aware of and sometimes, you feel as though you are repeating yourself, but things are not changing in this regard. In the past few days, the Central Statistics Office, CSO, published its residential property price index for July 2021. Houses in the west of Ireland have increased by 9.1% year-on-year. Things are not changing. While we may know there is a huge affordability crisis, nothing is changing in this regard. Moreover, apartments outside of Dublin have increased in price by 14.6%. Just outside my estate of Mervue in Galway city, there is an apartment block with more than 300 apartments being built to rent. Locals are absolutely outraged by this. They feel that they, their children and grandchildren will never be able to afford to live in Galway city in the Mervue area. They are also very concerned about the impact that this is having in building communities. Mervue is a proud community and there is a traditionally strong community spirit in that area. They feel that this build-to-rent project with which they are not pleased is going against this community spirit, as well as continuing to lock their children and grandchildren out of homeownership. The fact of unaffordability in Galway city has reached a complete crisis point. We know that the HAP limits are far too low to be able to rent in Galway city. Just today, a person who approached my office said he cannot get a place within HAP limits in Galway city, he cannot drive and has health issues and as a result, he has had to go into homeless accommodation. This is not something that is unusual and is not a once-off but is a reality for people in Galway city.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.