Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate that, like the Deputy, I believe in home ownership and having it as an option for our young people and not-so-young people who are working and feel they have been forgotten about in recent years. That is why Housing for All is very important. It is the first time a Government has brought forward a multi-annual housing plan that is fully funded to the tune of over €20 billion. Of that, more than €4 billion is for affordability measures. That is real money to be able to deliver real homes for real people. More important, Housing for All is underpinned by legislation which Deputy Berry and most though not all Deputies supported, namely, the Affordable Housing Act. That Act gives real options to deliver affordable purchase for people, to be led by local authorities across the country, and to get the Land Development Agency involved and delivering affordable and social homes.

On mix, we have ensured, through the Land Development Agency Act, which the Deputy and most though not all Members of the House supported, which is fine, that 100% of lands in areas with more acute affordability issues, such as Cork and Dublin, will be used for affordable and social housing. The minimum threshold will be 50%. That is very significant. We want to give people choice and get affordable homes built, as we are targeting to do from 2022 onwards through Housing for all, which will deliver 6,000 affordable homes and 2,000 affordable cost-rental homes. We want to give options for working people, which we need to do.

The Deputy mentioned Part V provision. We have changed that already, increasing it from 10% in new developments to 20%. That additional 10% affordability measure is now in place. Underpinning all that, there must be an increase in supply. Thankfully, the anecdotal evidence we are receiving is that housing commencements are increasing and the projections for next year are good. Part of that is due to the Government's plan, Housing for All, because it gives certainty to the sector and our people that the State is making the single biggest intervention in housing in its history, fully funded right to 2026.

I have not seen any alternatives that go nearly as far as what we have done. I am acutely aware that now it is about delivery.

In relation to mixed tenure, I agree with the Deputy completely. Through measures that we have brought in, we have banned bulk buying and I am bringing forward legislation with regard to a homeowner's guarantee. This will be brought forward in the coming months, particularly for first-time buyers.

In the targets set, I do not want local authorities buying whole housing estates. In fairness, most of them are no longer doing that. In our housing targets we will set an acquisition target of 200 per year from next year with our local authorities. As a result of the measures we introduced in the Affordable Housing Act, which are underpinned by Housing For All, we will be able to have mixed tenure developments with affordable and social housing. To have mixed tenure and ensure there is choice for people, we need to increase our social house building and allow choice for those who wish to buy too.

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