Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Construction Industry Register Ireland is known as the CIRI. As a builder, I welcome this legislation and the assurance it will give to the consumer. However, if this is being introduced to avoid a mica or a pyrite scandal again, I have to question it as there was probably nothing unlawful done by the builders. It was a fault with products. Does this legislation cover the building products being purchased by builders in good faith and who are unaware that the recipe the manufacturer used was faulty? Limerick is probably lucky enough. There are a certain number of pyrite cases in Limerick, but the materials seem to have been imported from a neighbouring county. As I said, we are one of the lucky ones. However, the people are still unaware of when they will be reimbursed or funded for their housing needs and the regulations that have to be met. How in detail will this Bill ensure that pyrite, mica or issues with defective blocks will never recur? Will this legislation, when implemented, provide such protection?

By what amount will this Bill increase the cost of building a new home in Ireland from 2024? If the Minister of State does not know, he should know it before bringing the legislation before the Dáil. According to some quantity surveyors, the introduction of the regulations in 2014 increased the price of an average house of 2,000 sq. ft. by €30,000. I have been in the construction industry for almost 30 years and I see at first hand the planning permissions, the local authorities and the lack of infrastructure in our areas. I was at a meeting of the housing committee with the Land Development Agency, LDA, last week. The new chief executive officer of the LDA introduced himself to me by saying he was from Dublin, his parents are from Dublin, he grew up in Dublin and he was educated in Dublin. I would swear the man did not have the vocabulary to get Dublin out of his head. I wished him well on the day, and I informed him that I am from Limerick, I grew up in Limerick and my parents were from Limerick.

Let us look at the promises for housing in 2021. There were to be 9,500 new builds of social homes. Some 3,144 were delivered. There were 350 cost-rental homes promised, but 90 were delivered. Some 170 vacant homes were to be renovated under the repair and lease scheme, but 39 were finalised in the first nine months. There were no affordable purchase homes delivered that year despite the Minister saying in October that eight would be delivered, with a fund of over €300 million. I mentioned the LDA and the announcements of what it was going to do in Limerick city. The LDA does not have a penny for Limerick county. The CEO admitted that Limerick county is deficient in its infrastructure and sewerage and water systems. He is on the record saying that in the meeting. Why can people not have vision and see that if we create hubs from large towns in a county, we can also bring in the small villages and towns around it, and create a hub in each county? That would be forward thinking. However, when somebody keeps mentioning that he is from Dublin and is living in Dublin, he does not understand anything that works in a county.

As a county councillor and as a builder in the area, having grown up and worked in the area, I understand perfectly what is needed to regrow the villages and towns in my area and make them sustainable. One does not have to live in a city to have sustainability. I invite the Minister of State to come to Limerick county where I will show him the greatest dignity when he comes there and sees our area.

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