Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for giving us the opportunity again this evening to talk about rents. I declare that people may say I have a conflict of interest because Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is in that business and I am his brother.

I concur with what Members have said. The cost of rents has become very steep and people cannot meet the amounts being charged. They are in a desperate way, especially in Killarney, Dingle, Kenmare and other places around the county. We need to build more social housing. We have had enough schemes and reports. Give us the money in Kerry to build more social housing. That is the answer to it. We have the land and the builders to build them. Give us more money and forget about HAP and such schemes. I look forward to the Government getting rid of those schemes and building social houses for people.

We must help people trying to build their own houses and who are having severe difficulty getting planning. A lovely young girl got planning permission and some lousy being objected and appealed to An Bord Pleanála. Even though everything was perfect, An Bord Pleanála dismissed her planning application and she finished up not getting it. An Bord Pleanála refuse 90% of all rural planning applications that come before it. That is some record. It must be tackled because it is not fair.

I saw a case the other day where someone else objected and the poor young couple have to wait until December and January before they can reopen the holes, so making sure they will not get planning after a year and a half. To think that has happened in our county and a young couple trying to put a roof over their heads are being denied planning in this way. We must seek to do something about the levies being charged and the regulations being put on them because the cost of materials has gone out of control. The Government must try to do something about that and recognise it. Do not try to blot it out or whatever because it is happening. A 6 ft by 3 ft stick of timber that was €20 for years is now €38. Will the Minister think of that?

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