Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to address a deeply concerning situation affecting Mayo under the Housing for All programme. We find ourselves still in a perplexing predicament where we have no targets set for affordable housing schemes for the county. Recently, the local authority undertook an external affordability exercise for Westport, which resulted in the Department's approval of 13 affordable housing units in the area. During this exercise, it became apparent a staggering 775 households had expressed sincere interest in acquiring an affordable house through the council. In light of these findings and baffled as to why the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has not yet established targets for affordable housing in Mayo, Mayo County Council is, thankfully, now actively pursuing a separate application for affordable housing in Castlebar.

I have called for the establishment of this scheme many times in the Chamber. I respectfully call on the Department to set a realistic target of 100 affordable housing units in Mayo for the period 2023 to 2024. This target aligns to the urgency and gravity of the situation, offering a tangible solution to the housing crisis our county is grappling with.

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