Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he intends to take to ensure that local authorities construct more social and affordable housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16825/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The new housing policy framework, Building Sustainable Communities, launched by Government last December outlines a substantially increased programme of investment in social and affordable housing measures for the period 2006-08.

Exchequer capital resources provided by my Department for these measures for this period stand at almost €4 billion, more than 20% higher than the past three years, and this sum rises to more than €6.5 billion when non-voted and current spending provisions are included. This money will be invested in response to identified need within the region of 23,000 new units of social housing to be commenced and 15,000 units of affordable housing to be delivered over the same three year period. In addition, further households will be assisted through the new rental accommodation scheme. In total, we expect some 50,000 households to benefit from various social and affordable housing measures in the coming three years.

The strength of existing social housing programmes is demonstrated in the fact that work was in progress on more than 10,000 social housing units at the end of 2005, which augurs well for the current year.

The local authority housing programme is part of the wider social and affordable housing programmes for which the main strategy for delivery is the local authority five year action plans for social and affordable housing. The action plans, now at their midway stage, are being reviewed. The outcome of the reviews will ensure that local authorities continue to have a framework for the integrated and cohesive planning and delivery over the coming years of specific social and affordable housing measures based on their relevant housing strategy.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for reading out that script. I do not know whether it makes sense to anybody other than himself. Has the Government any plans to revert to what was its original intention in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2002 where 20% of all developments would be handed over to the local authorities for social and affordable housing? That Act was amended in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2004 as a result of pressure from builders. I do not know whether they were inside or outside the tent in Galway but wherever the pressure came from, the 2004 Act was amended to allow developers an out in that regard. The position now is that the developers can either give land, money or sites or an equivalent amount of land in any area of the local authority. Is the Minister aware that in areas like Galway city in particular, where developers are developing land and where land is very expensive, developers in county areas near the city such as Oranmore, Castlegarren and elsewhere can now provide land in Glenamaddy, Tuam, Mountbellew or anywhere else 30, 40 or 50 miles away in lieu of the 20%? Does the Government intend to revert to the original concept in the 2002 Act whereby builders and developers are required to allocate 20% of the proposed development for affordable or social housing? The current practice is a farce. Developers are either giving money to the local authority, which is not ploughed back into the equivalent amount of housing that 20% represents or they are giving land or a mix of land and money in locations other than the prime location where they are building the houses. Is the Minister aware that people living in social housing in Tuam, Mountbellew, Glenamaddy or Headford are clogging up the roads driving 20 or 30 miles a day to work in Galway city? The Government should revert to the 2002 Act whereby the developer had to provide 20% of the proposed development to social and affordable housing.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy said, the legal obligations of Part V can be met by a developer by land, cash and sites on-site or off-site.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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That is right.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The developer may propose any such solution he or she wishes but it is the local authority that makes the decision. It says "yes" or "no" to the proposal. That is the key point. The developer can ask for or suggest anything he or she likes but the local authority makes the decision in accordance with the law of the land and its housing strategy as drawn up and approved by the councillors. That is the key point.

If the sites are located away from the development, they must be situated within the local authority area. A developer could not transfer the provision of such a site from Galway city to Galway county——

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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No.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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——but the local authority can decide to change the provision of the site from three miles to 23 miles outside the city. That legal change was introduced in 2002 for good reason, namely, to provide the flexibility sought by the local authorities, the Department and, in some cases, developers. It made good sense. The key issue is that the local authority makes the decision in accordance with the law of the land and its housing strategy. That is the central point.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I knew everything he said prior to him saying it. He has passed the buck back to the local authority which has made decisions in cases. I can quote cases where the developer offered land for social housing which was 30 miles away from his development within the same local authority area. The Minister knows this situation is farcical because he backed out of making developers allocate 20% of their housing in any development for social housing because pressure was brought to bear on the Government.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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If that happens, it should be brought up in the city council chamber and the city council management should investigate matters.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is standing up because he is very anxious to prevent me from speaking. The Minister and the Minister of State are now standing up to prevent me from speaking because they are embarrassed by the fact that I am talking sense. The big Minister stood up to save the small Minister.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I realise that the senile Member from Galway is probably deficient in hearing.

Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I wish the Minister would listen because he might learn from somebody who has served on a local authority. I was a member of both Galway City Council and Galway County Council so I know exactly what is going on. Fair dues to the Minister, he has shouted me down.

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It would be a good idea if Deputy McCormack showed some manners but expecting him to display some manners after his long and undistinguished career would be pushing matters too far.