Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Some of those towns have the capacity to add on small schemes. If builders got low-interest finance they could use for that, it could be done.

Why has the State not implemented the recommendations of the Kenny report from 1973, published 52 years ago? If I recall, it was actually commissioned by a Fine Gael-Labour Government and Mr. Justice Kenny set out very clearly how to keep land prices down such that development land would only be 25% above the market value of agricultural land or there would be an 80% windfall tax on the profits of development land. We have to take bold measures to force down the price of land. The Minister of State may balk at that, but can something be done in between that? We have to reduce the cost of land for building.

We also need to reduce the cost of building by mass producing. As I said last week, we need somewhere between eight and ten plans for the different types of households and household needs; large families, small families, people with disabilities, pensioners and so on. Those plans need to be used by all the local authorities for affordable housing, cost-rental and social housing. Do we really believe that people who need an affordable house to buy or a cost-rental house care if the house they are living in in County Donegal is the same as one in County Laois or Coutry Kerry or wherever else? No, they do not. I certainly would not. That is how we mass produced previously. We need to go back to doing this.

The same plans can be used. I would like the Minister and Minister of State to listen to this. When we are starting with a blank canvas on all housing schemes, the architectural fees are between 10% and 15% according to senior local authority officials. That needs to stop. The same plans will suffice and we need to use them. I appeal to the Government to do that. We need to mass produce, reduce the costs and speed up delivery.

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