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

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the fact that there is a great deal happening on affordable housing. As I said, the 25 units in Castletroy that are being built under the affordable housing fund through the local authority and all the other aspects such as the home equity scheme are all very welcome. However this is a very particular point. The Minister of State made reference to the fact that land purchased between 1 September 2015 and 31 July 2021 might be deemed - if Part V for affordable housing was implemented and for planning permissions granted on or after 3 September 2021 - unviable. We are talking about 10% of an estate. It is very simple. This is down to funding. If it is down to funding, then the Government should be funding the developers for any shortfall they have in terms of a development. If we are looking for a model, it must be an integrated model. We cannot have a situation where over the next number of years no private estate built will have affordable housing. This is common sense. I ask that it is taken back to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and that Government will look again at the legal implications of this measure to see if that shortfall, where a builder bought land between 3 September 2015 and 31 July 2021, can be funded, so that the Government funds that 10% for the affordable housing. There are people, young couples and young people, who want to purchase a home in their own communities. They need to be entitled to avail of this and, therefore, I ask Government to revisit this aspect.

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