Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Housing is the number one issue on the doorsteps. It affects many young people, individuals and families. The shortage of housing to rent or purchase in my county, Mayo, is a serious concern and certainly hurts its future economic development. I have been beating the drum for some time on the delivery of an affordable housing scheme, in all Mayo's main towns, following our exclusion from the national affordable housing five-year delivery plan, despite the existing problems. I welcome Mayo County Council's recent submissions to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an affordable housing scheme in Westport, comprising 11 three-bed units and two two-bed apartments. While this is progress, we need to further progress applications for similar schemes in both Castlebar and Ballina.

The recent decision not to include one affordable house in a 50-unit housing development in Westport, although Part V legislation allows the council to allocate 20% for an affordable-housing purpose, was appalling. It is a testament to where the council's priorities lie. We need to get to a point at which the Oireachtas, which underpins the development of State money, holds local authorities to account on houses and decisions and works with councillors in this regard. There can be no excuse for local authorities not to live up to what is required or lead the way on building houses, both social and affordable.

We need to start policing the delivery by local authorities and chief executives, who should be held to account and appear before the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Whether we like it or not chief executives are not answerable to anyone at the minute. That must change in the context of the Housing for All plan.

Supply is still the biggest issue. While we are making progress, real opportunity exists in vacant and derelict housing stock that could boost our supply. I welcome the new qualifying criteria under the Croí Conaithe (towns) scheme, which supports the provision of additional housing in rural areas as well as urban ones. That was something we brought to the Minster of State's attention numerous times. The response to this initiative has been positive. The €30,000 grant for the refurbishment may not go far enough to incentivise applicants and I would like this doubled to €60,000 in time. That would demonstrate a real seriousness by Government. We should also double the top-up grant from €20,000 to €40,000 where the property is confirmed to be derelict. That would give a grand total of €100,000. This would show serious intent by Government to utilise our existing empty housing stock as a serious option for first-time buyers to complement what we are doing around new developments of both affordable and social housing. It would be an attractive prospect for future homeowners.

While Housing for All provides the policy infrastructure for local authorities to deliver housing targets year-on-year, we have, on the other hand, the Office of the Planning Regulator, which is another unit within the country's bureaucracy. The offices advises our county executives on the zoning of rural towns and the building of once-off rural houses along national roads. The Minister of State will be well aware of the issues this presents when compiling county development plans and local area development plans. It is having a detrimental impact on the future development plans in rural areas. This is something he is very passionate about. It is having major implications for young people who cannot get a house, want to build on their family farm but cannot get the required planning permission. We need to align Government policy in a way that creates vibrant communities, protects the environment and supports sustainable growth.

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