Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Like many Deputies, I drove to Leinster House this morning. I drove from Portarlington through Monasterevin and Rathangan and on to Newbridge. It is great to see building sites back open again, machinery moving very early in the morning, people moving with purpose, laying blocks and building high-quality housing to a high environmental standard. I pushed on to Tougher Service Station in Naas, which the Ceann Comhairle will know. There was a queue out the door looking for breakfast rolls. It is great to see the construction industry back up and running. I fully accept that we are at a very early stage in tackling this crisis but at least the direction of travel is good and some progress is being made.

Notwithstanding the progress being made, I have two concerns, the first of which relates to affordability. I am a believer in home ownership or at least the option of home ownership, as are most Deputies. People should be able to get a mortgage from a bank or financial institution, pay it off over 20 or 25 years and become mortgage-free in their 50s. They can then live safely for the rest of their lives and hand over their homes to the next generation. That is a good model to adopt. My concern is that the houses I passed this morning are unaffordable for many people, including soldiers, gardaí, nurses, teachers and people working in the private sector. I am familiar with the Minister's Housing for All strategy. I have been through it. It lists various principles and mechanisms but a lot of granular detail is missing. I ask the Minister to elaborate on some of the affordable housing schemes he has planned and how they will work on the ground.

My second concern is related to housing mix, which is a good thing. We should not have some housing estates for the rich and others for the poor. I am completely against any bulk purchasing of housing estates or large accommodation, particularly by vulture funds. However, I am not in favour of local authorities or approved housing bodies buying up 100% of estates either. That is not a good way to do business and is storing up problems for the future. I do not believe in concentrating a particular type of housing in a particular area. There should be a mix. I am being contacted by many constituents who want to buy a private house but cannot do so because there are so few available. When an estate is coming on stream within, say, three months, people are finding that the local authority has purchased the entire estate and they cannot buy a house.

Those are my two concerns, which relate to affordability and housing mix, respectively. I welcome that a floor of 20% social and affordable housing has been set for housing estates. That is a good thing but should there also be a ceiling? There is a minimum threshold but should there be a maximum threshold? Should we be looking for the elusive housing mix? That would be a good way to go.

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