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

Deputy Boyd Barrett mentioned social housing limits earlier. In response to other questions we said the work is nearing conclusion. I received a submission and sought further changes to it. It has gone back to the officials and we will have it very shortly. This is with regard to social housing limits throughout the country. A very important measure the Government has brought forward is a new form of tenure in cost rental. This is also in the Deputy's constituency. We have seen the first tenants in place paying approximately 50% of market rent. The tenancies in the development are secure as they are for 70 years. There are also many others. We have hundreds of cost rental tenancies. I want to see it expanded to thousands of tenancies. People over the social housing limits can get State-backed secure affordable tenancies. This is happening with cost rental. We are reviewing it and I am close to concluding it with regard to the social housing limits.

On purchase and tenant in situI want to say very clearly that one-bed accommodation is something we are acutely aware of. We all know the predominance of single people in our homeless numbers. We need to focus on this. We also need to focus on larger families and four-bed accommodation. This does not exclude two-bed and three-bed accommodation. Approved housing bodies are referenced in it by way of accessing CALF finance where they see opportunities that may be there. It may make more sense for an approved housing body to do this in an area and if so we will do that.

Part V was increased in the Affordable Housing Act. I know the Deputy had issues with it and that is fine but we have 10% social accommodation and 10% affordable accommodation in new tenancies. We need to increase the supply and we are doing so. We are reviewing it and nearing a conclusion. We are not just reviewing it as we are looking at changes to social housing limits and how they will fit in with affordable and cost rental accommodation. This is important. We need more and more families in affordable cost rental accommodation and affordable purchase accommodation.

See this speech in context