Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)

Gabhaim buíochas le Sinn Féin as ucht an rún seo a chur faoi bhráid na Dála. Water and the adequate funding of water infrastructure are issues we have failed to address properly in this country over many years. We all know there are huge issues all over the country, many of which have been outlined this evening with regard to our water infrastructure. Our infrastructure spend is actually 25% lower than the average for comparable European countries. We need a serious multi-year plan to properly address the housing crisis.

We have a situation in this country where a national utility company, Uisce Éireann, has to compete for funding on a multi-annual basis with Departments. In my constituency, a planning application went in for 30 badly needed one- and two-bedroom apartments on the site of the old Olympic Ballroom in Newcastle West. That application was withdrawn because of there being no water infrastructure. There is also no capacity in the water infrastructure in towns like Croom and Hospital in County Limerick, all of which are being held back by that totally inadequate infrastructure.

I refer to a specific issue with a site in Mungret, County Limerick, whereby the LDA is shovel-ready on a development of 250 badly needed homes. The main source of infrastructure funding for this site has been the local infrastructure housing activation fund, LIHAF. As a result of a funding shortfall of €5 million, the project has, in effect, been suspended. A request to unlock this money has gone in to the Department from Limerick City and County Council and the LDA in order to fund the necessary road and public realm infrastructure. I implore the Minister and Minister of State to use whatever influence they have in the Department to push on this development of 250 units. If funding is sanctioned, a contractor can be appointed almost immediately. Approximately 1,000 homes were built in Limerick last year. According to the Housing Commission report and work done by Limerick Chamber, we need to get that number to well over 2,500.

I highlight an issue regarding the new Planning and Development Act. Developers in Limerick have contacted me to say they have financing in place on sites in the city, with capacity to deliver 150 units, but the planning will expire on those units 16 to 24 months from now. This is something about which their lenders have a lot of concern. I urge the Department to look at this issue in the context of the enactment of the new Planning and Development Act to see whether there might be capacity, in a small number of circumstances, to deliver a time-limited extension to ensure a development can be built.

The housing delivery oversight executive, when it is delivered, must have legislative power, as recommended by the Housing Commission. I see the value in having such an executive but it must be established in the vein recommended by the commission, with real power that will enable it to unblock the things that need to be unblocked.

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