Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge the work done by the Minister of State on that matter to date, particularly regarding backyard dwellings or the equivalent of the 40 sq. m extension planning exemption. We need to go beyond that and allow a wider scale. I am not saying it is the entire solution; it is part of the solution. There is a real place for these dwellings at the moment. I will highlight the example of a site in Nenagh, my home town. It is a serviced site owned by the county council. For many years, the council has failed to get someone in to develop the site. It is ready to go and be built on. Companies around the country produce these modular units. I see the site in question as being ideal for these type of dwellings, particularly for single-storey, one- or two-bedroom units. If we think about older people or those with disabilities who have been on housing waiting lists for years, this is a solution for them. It is a safe, comfortable and warm home to call their own. We need to be ambitious, display a sense of urgency and see to it that serious movement happens quickly.

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