Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for discussing the report. There is much to learn from it. In Dublin city in particular, a clear planning decision has been made that apartments will be the predominant mode. Planners are dictating that. It is for good environmental reasons but the reality is that, as we all know, apartments are significantly more expensive to build and we have to consider how we will provide a city that has affordable housing. The Government has already acknowledged that by providing up to €100,000 or €150,000 in the council-led affordable purchase scheme or the shared equity scheme, for example. All these schemes are, in effect, subsidising the cost of housing. We are in a tricky situation. The cost of constructing homes is well in excess of what those people can pay and seems to be in excess of what the people and the Government combined can pay. We have to consider the cost implications of environmental decisions and achieve balance in that regard.

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