Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I have had many inquiries regarding back garden cabins from constituents all over County Kerry. They must be allowed to go ahead and they should also be available for rent. Local authorities should be able to adjudicate on small to medium-sized infrastructural projects by way of Part 8, even where environmental impact assessments are necessary, instead of such projects being sent to An Bord Pleanála. On rural settlement policy, we must get planning authorities to remove the zoning category of rural area under significant urban influence from all plans. It is discriminatory. At the very least, we must remove the word "significant" from the description. As a result of this zoning, there are issues around all towns and villages in my county, including Killarney, Killorglin, Cahersiveen.

Urgent action is required to address the lack of housing available across Ireland and local authorities are at the heart of the solution. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage must request and direct all local authorities to play their part in addressing the housing crisis. Local authorities urgently need to start granting planning permission for one-off housing. I again call on the Minister to request all local authorities to play their part. They can do this by amending their county development plans and area plans and by granting planning permission to all applicants who clearly demonstrate a rural housing need. Applicants who are from an area, who live in it, who work in it or who went to school in it should qualify for planning permission to build a home there. We are forcing planning applicants onto our housing lists by refusing one-off houses. This has the effect of making the problem worse. We must reverse this now and get to a situation where houses are available to those who need them most.

I am anxious to get housing units available for all. I have consistently urged the introduction of good quality modular houses to increase the supply available. Modular houses of a very high standard are available. They are economical to buy, build, heat and maintain, and they have a lifespan of up to 80 years.

Many people have told me they would be delighted with such a home. Young couples in Killorglin, Cahersiveen, Castleisland, Killarney, Dingle and Kenmare confirmed to me they would be more than happy with a modular home. They are a quick solution to what is a real crisis. We must free up land. We must relax planning requirements and introduce modular housing. I believe a marked improvement will be seen in early course in our efforts to house our people. Naturally, we need a mix of affordable, social and private, including low-cost sites. There is plenty of land and old buildings around Killarney available from the HSE. I urge the Minister of State to engage with the HSE with regard to acquiring this land. This land has been available for between 20 and 30 years, and the buildings are unoccupied for equally as long. My son, Councillor Tommy Cahill, has also raised the matter of modular homes and we will pursue this important issue for our people. I am a great believer in modular homes. We must grant them and address the planning laws accordingly. We must zone plenty of land, not just in our cities, but around all towns and villages, to give people options of affordable, social, private and low-cost sites.

The provision of wastewater treatment facilities is a huge issue. I mentioned before that €6 million was announced for Beaufort village more than two years ago. I have been informed it will take at least another seven years before there is a sewerage scheme there. Constructed wetlands are a cheaper and quicker solution. We have 40 unsewered villages in Kerry. A number of others, including my own village of Glenbeigh, have been at capacity for approximately 25 years. We must bring developers with us. They can and will provide wastewater treatment facilities that are up to an acceptable standard. I also believe we must grant planning permission for high-rise apartment blocks where appropriate. These are the planning changes required to help our people acquire a home, which is a basic right.

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