Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Housing output increased by about 45% last year. The data on commencements, completions, planning permissions and so on is more encouraging now than it was around six months ago. There is a lot of activity in the sector. The suspension of the development contributions, for example, and the water connection fees is making a real difference. It is making projects that might have been marginally unviable potentially viable. The feedback has been quite positive on that. There are many different ingredients here from the planning system, which has to be reformed, to funding. Home Building Finance Ireland is doing a lot of work on that to try to fill the gap that is there in some instances. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, is confident that we will meet the housing targets this year but we are also reviewing the national planning framework because the population has grown and the needs all over the country have increased significantly.

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