Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I am glad to have this opportunity to raise with the Minister the matter of young fellas, boys and girls, leaving our shores to go to Australia simply because they cannot buy or build a house in this country no matter how good a job they have. I attended an event in Barraduff in east Kerry a couple of weeks ago for ten local youngsters who are departing our shores. Some of them have already gone and the rest will be gone before Christmas.

In other words, they will not be sitting at their parents' table for their Christmas dinner this year. I am hurt by that. They have been educated to the highest standards and persevered through long days and nights in colleges in Cork, Galway, Dublin, Limerick or wherever else. They are highly educated and their parents helped financially to put them through school. They are now caught because those aged between 25 and 32 feel they cannot get to a point where they can purchase or build a house. Houses in Killarney cost between €450,000 and €650,000. That is too much and people cannot get a mortgage for such houses. That is why they are departing.

On the other side, people cannot get planning permission. Kerry is unusual in that on about 100 km of national primary and secondary routes people are not allowed to exit from their own land due to restrictions on those routes. We have raised this issue several times.

A strict rule about urban-generated pressure was imposed on us by the planning regulator. It was intended to prevent people coming to the country from towns in order to build houses for themselves. Not only is it stopping such people, but it is also stopping people who are local to those sites, including those with a site close to their parents' house. I am not talking about the sons and daughters of farmers; they are getting permission. However, their neighbours next door are not. In the east Kerry hinterland of Killarney and the mid-Kerry hinterlands of Killorglin and Kenmare that is what is happening. People would build houses if they could get planning permission.

Many affordable housing schemes are not available in Kerry. We never had an affordable housing scheme. We do not have the cost rental scheme in Kerry. We are asking for fair play. I ask the Minister to address the restrictions on national roads. We have raised that several times. What will be done about it?

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