Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have no objection to the use of turnkeys in the short term while a pipeline of development of affordable cost rental homes by AHBs and councils comes on stream. The difficulty, though, and as the Minister is aware, is that the price of purchasing turnkey properties in Dublin city centre means it is not possible to deliver the affordable element of the cost-rental proposition. Therefore, I have a specific question. Is the Minister actively considering any amendments to the cost rental equity loan scheme that would provide additional flexibility in the short term for the turnkey acquisitions?

There is a real problem, in the sense that the Minister is right in respect of there being 716 cost rental units in the pipeline for this year, according to his officials, but half of those are units that were funded and agreed in principle in the context of last year's funds. In fact, therefore, this year's additional cost-rental provision is about the same as what was meant to be delivered last year. None of those units, however, is in the city centre. What is the Minister considering to try to ensure that some cost-rental homes could be delivered at genuinely affordable prices in the city this year and next year?

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