Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much believe in Part V delivery. I wish to deal with a particular aspect of it. I like estates to have 10% social and 10% affordable. That is what I want to see on every new estate that is built. Part V provision was in place previously, with both 10% social and 10% affordable, but on many occasions the Part V obligation was bought out and did not happen. That is no longer the case.

However, I draw attention to the fact that under Housing for All and, more particularly, the Affordable Housing Act 2021, in the case of planning permissions granted before 3 September 2021, it is only the 10% social that applies. The 10% affordable does not apply for private estates in that context. For planning permissions granted after 31 July 2026, which is the bones of four and a half years away, the 10% social and 10% affordable - a total of 20% - will apply. For planning permissions granted between 3 September 2021 and 31 July 2026 in respect of land purchased prior to 1 September 2015, the 10% social and 10% affordable apply. However, for any land purchased between 1 September 2015 up to 31 July 2021, which makes up the bulk of the land that will be built on now, only the 10% social applies. Why is that the case? In the case of land purchased after 1 September 2021, the 20% total does apply, but the bulk of the land that will be built on in the coming years will be land that was probably purchased between 1 September 2015 and 31 July 2021. That means that many of the private estates that will be built will not provide 10% affordable housing.

I passionately believe in the Part V model. Why has this situation come about? What can be done about it? I ask the Government to reconsider this and amend it. Whatever the cost that will have to be paid to the builders of these estates to ensure 10% of the houses are made available under the affordable model should be met. I am talking about ensuring that, on an estate of 100 houses, ten of those houses would be set aside for affordable purchase. That is what the people in Limerick whom I represent are seeking. My worry is that will not be the case under the structure currently in place. That may be based on legal reasons, but I want to know the reason for the decision and I want the Government to consider ensuring the 10% social and 10% affordable provisions apply to any planning permissions that are granted from now on, regardless of when the land was purchased. If that requires additional funding from the Government to the developers of these sites, so be it. I believe it would offer value for money because it provides people with affordable homes on private estates in their own communities.

I believe in the model of estates that have 10% social, 10% affordable and 80% private. It is a mix and it works. There are other models and I very much acknowledge the fact there are 25 new houses going up under the affordable fund at the moment in Castletroy, where I live. That is to be welcomed, but this is a slightly different thing. Anyone who has been involved on the ground will understand what I am talking about.

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