Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, for being here for this Topical Issue debate because I know that he, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, treat this matter with the utmost seriousness. We have had nearly two days of housing meetings with chief executives and housing directors of local authorities across the country with the Minister. I want to point out the massive ambition in this House for the delivery of public housing. We put in a lot of hard work on the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage; at departmental level; and in the Oireachtas by all parties on the Affordable Housing Act 2021, the Land Development Agency Act 2021 and the publication of Housing for All with all the tools that are in that document. Then there is the €4 billion multi-annual budget. All of that ambition has to be translated to the local authorities; the approved housing bodies, AHBs; the Land Development Agency, LDA; and the many other bodies that will implement this plan.

Our work is not done when we pass these Bills or budgets. The work has to be continued and we have to continue to focus on almost every one of the sites in each of our constituencies to make sure our ambition is matched by the ambition of the local authorities and AHBs to deliver. The local authorities have to do far more in the delivery of social housing and far more again in the delivery of affordable housing. They have been out of this space for some time, although that is not true of all of them. Dublin City Council built thousands of homes during the Ballymun regeneration project only ten or 15 years ago so there is some legacy of building public housing within our system. They need to get back to having that sort of ambition of seeing a site and being aware that they have the policy tools, budgets and ability to deliver on them.

I mention some of the sites and some of the frustrations I have had with them. The Parkview site is being developed by Ó Cualann in partnership with Dublin City Council but there have been far too many delays in the transfer of the legal title from Dublin City Council to Ó Cualann so it can develop that site. On the Kildonan lands, much of which have been lying idle for many years, consultation has occurred and a project manager has been appointed but there is no clarity on the design and the scheme and timeline are still unclear. The Whitehall car park site has some local issues that need to be ironed out with residents. People have accepted it will be built on but there has been no progress on that site since the summer. Thankfully the majority of Dublin City Council has voted to approve the Oscar Traynor Road site. We expect a planning application but it might only be for part of that overall development so we are a long way from the completion of that project. Pre-Part 8 planning approval is expected on the port tunnel site but we still await procurement and construction and it is only for part of that site. The Coultry Gardens site has been identified for cost rental homes but there is still no clarity on who the partner will be on that. Cranogue Islands on Balbutcher Lane has thankfully been identified for affordable purchase homes but we are a long way off the pre-Part 8 becoming a Part 8 and then being constructed. I mention the Church of the Annunciation site, identified for senior citizens. The church has been demolished and the site lies idle so we need action on that site. Belclare Drive has been identified for affordable housing. It is another complex site and may be further delayed. I could go on and on about all of these sites but if we do not keep an eye on each one of them, the ambition and legislation we have will not be translated into keys in doors and homes for people. The Minister of State and I agree that this is needed and we need to make sure that the next step, delivery by local authorities and AHBs, is carried out.

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