Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

The suggestion that what has been happening with the approvals for social and affordable housing at the end of last year and early this year is perfectly normal is simply not true. Either the Minister knows that and is refusing to address the question or he simply does not know what is going on in his Department. There is considerable frustration among local authorities, approved housing bodies and builders over the significant delay. Three thousand units were approved by the Cabinet in February but many of the related projects have not actually secured formal approval and notification has not been issued to the local authorities and approved housing bodies. I am talking to AHBs, large and small, and to builders. One builder in Dublin, who was halfway through building 50-plus apartments, had to close the site down because of an outstanding AHB CALF approval, the application having been last year. Can the Minister be honest with us and tell us how many of the 3,000 units have been subject to formal notification of approval? Are there more beyond those? We were hearing earlier this year that there could be as many as 5,000 units delayed. One assumes this is because of difficulties and disagreements between officials in the Minister’s Department and those in the Department of Finance and the Department of public expenditure and reform.

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