Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

As the Tánaiste is aware, many young people between the ages of 25 and 33 are leaving our shores. Many of them were in good, settled jobs. These are gardaí, teachers, mechanics and people with different trades. They are valuable individuals, and they are leaving because they simply believe that they cannot buy or build a house for themselves. They say that if they were not working at all or working only part-time, they would qualify to get on the local authority list and, eventually, get a social housing unit. In other words, they are telling us that there is no incentive for them to continue working in Ireland. I hope that the new planning Bill - there has been a lot of talk about it coming shortly; it cannot come quickly enough - will go far enough to ensure that people can get permission to build houses near or in their own localities and that they will be allowed to build entrances adjacent to national primary and secondary roads where it is safe to do so and where access already exists. The Government is encouraging people - as I said, nurses and mechanics and those with good qualifications - to come home from Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and everywhere else and aims to halt the flow of the present crop of boys and girls who are leaving in their droves in the first instance. Both things will be achieved if the Government gets the planning right. I and many others have been asking for the planning process to be made easier for many years.

The other problem relates to mortgages. In the context of getting a mortgage, people can borrow four times the combined gross annual income of up to 90% of the value of the property. That is a big problem for many. People need proof of steady employment for at least 12 months and a deposit of 10%. Most mortgages now, because of the massive costs involved, are taking 30 to 35 years to pay back. Many people will have reached pension age before they fully own their houses. In the UK, there is no VAT on building materials. What can Ireland not be the same? The cost of the building is increased by one third as a result of tax, VAT and other levies.

There should be an incentive to build smaller houses. In County Kerry, the cost of building a new house is €220 to €280 per square foot, which means that the type of houses being built at present are costing somewhere between €200,000 and €280,000. That is on top of the cost of the site.

One will face a cost of €400,000 before the house is completed. I am asking the Government to look at these things to see whether we can stop people from leaving our shores.

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