Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this important matter to be discussed. I acknowledge the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, to take the matter. The Department of Agriculture and Food proposed a site of 15 hectares, which is almost 40 acres, of land for affordable housing at Clonakilty, County Cork, in December 2003. In May 2004, the Teagasc authority formally handed over this land to the local authority, Cork County Council. In October 2004, Cork County Council took on Colin Buchanan and Partners to design a unique rural village, the first in Ireland to be created at Darrara, Clonakilty, County Cork, for affordable housing.

It is almost three years later and not a sod has been turned on that site. There are a number of reasons for that and one of them, regrettably, is that Fine Gael and the Fine Gael members of Cork County Council have frustrated this development at every opportunity. At any rate, on Monday last at a meeting of Cork County Council, a decision was taken by 34 votes to ten to go ahead with the project. The ten voting against it were the Fine Gael members of Cork County Council, which is very regrettable. I can only suggest it was done for reasons of rural snobbery. Young people deserve the chance to have homes of their own. The local authority received a gift of 40 acres from the State for this affordable housing scheme. Services therefore are the only costs for the sites and young people can get houses which will cost approximately €150,000 less than their commercial value. How any political party could try to stymie and frustrate such a development is beyond me. It is regrettable.

The decision has now been taken to proceed with the project. I want the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government with responsibility for housing to Government and to social partnership to commit to a timescale for the development. This initiative forms part of the social partnership agreement to the effect that 10,000 affordable houses would be built each year and this is one of the projects. It is a unique project, comprising 104 houses in 40 acres with a wide expanse of streetscapes, plenty of green areas, and in every way a desirable development. We want it to go ahead within a definite time, from planning to the commencement of building, so that young people can aspire to have their own homes in this region of west Cork.

A survey ten days ago showed this area to be the most expensive part of the country for housing. Sites range typically from €200,000 to €250,000 per site with services and the cost of the house on top of that. Houses are selling for between €750,000 to €1 million. This is a great chance for the 186 young people who have applied for these houses. They need some certainty and a timescale. That is what I want to hear from the Minister of State.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank my colleague, Deputy Walsh, for raising this matter.

In December 2003 he, as Minister for Agriculture and Food, proposed a site at Darrara Agricultural College in Clonakilty for inclusion in the affordable housing initiative and the Government agreed to this proposal. As Minister of State with responsibility for housing, I acknowledge this and thank Deputy Walsh for it and the other sites he put forward during his tenure in Agriculture House.

The State lands made available for the initiative are transferred to the relevant local authority which is responsible for developing and progressing the projects. In this case, it is up to Cork County Council to plan and develop this project. My Department will at all times be in contact with the council to ensure that all aspects of the project are progressed as quickly as possible. The council has also established an in-house technical group to progress the project.

There has been some progress in advancing this project since it was released to the initiative. A feasibility assessment on the site was carried out in terms of strategic land use planning, financial viability, affordability and suitable infrastructural solutions. Cork County Council approved the feasibility study on 30 September 2005. Following this, public consultation took place during October 2005 culminating in a council decision to initiate the process to amend the local area plan to facilitate the construction of the affordable housing units.

The proposed amendment to the local area plan was advertised and was on public display until 3 April 2006. Following this, the Cork county manager prepared a report on the proposed development at Darrara which was circulated to members of Cork County Council. The council development team discussed the report in some detail and, at the meeting of Cork County Council on 22 May 2006, the proposal to amend the local area plan was approved.

I was amazed to see in the media reports of this meeting that a project for affordable housing was passed by a majority with ten Fine Gael members against it. In this Chamber Opposition parties on all sides criticise me heavily because they do not seem impressed that we delivered 3,000 affordable houses last year. It is not right politically for people to pretend to be interested in affordable housing but to block and prevent it in every possible way when the opportunity arises.

The proposed development comprises 104 units, with a mix of affordable, social, voluntary and private units, and with 74 units being earmarked for applicants under the affordable housing scheme. While these will be welcome, I am somewhat disappointed because originally we thought of a higher number. I am pleased to see that an integrated development is being proposed which should result in the introduction of a new, active and successful community into the area.

The early delivery of affordable units is vital as Clonakilty is not immune to high house prices, as evidenced by the recent report which Deputy Walsh mentioned. The headline in the newspaper was that house prices in Clonakilty are the highest in Munster. That makes the Fine Gael objections at council level all the more surprising and it is obvious that some people on the council, especially those in Fine Gael, want to keep it as an enclave for the super-rich. When Deputy Walsh was Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Government designated this site for affordable housing and everybody ought to be committed to pushing that on as quickly as possible.

Cork County Council considers that the best way to develop this site is in several phases, given the sensitivities connected with the site, and will decide in the coming weeks the number of units to be constructed in the first phase of the project, at which stage it should be clearer when construction may commence. The necessary documentation is being prepared with a view to initiating the Part 8 planning process as soon as possible.

As with all projects, commencement of construction on this site now depends on the outcome of the next phase of the planning process. I hope that this phase progresses without any hitches and that construction commences on-site as soon as possible. Part 8 in local authority planning is normally much quicker than an ordinary planning application but that depends on the attitude of local people and councillors. Obviously if people want to screw something up, so to speak, they can. I hope that the first phase is a considerable one, contains most of those 104 units and that there will be no more delaying tactics.

I assure the Deputy that I will try to progress the matter at every possible opportunity. When I visited that part of the country two years ago, I viewed the site. It is a fine one and this will be a good development when it is complete. I will take all possible steps within the Department to indicate my interest in it and to drive it but the council must go through the planning process. I sincerely hope that people of all parties realise this is an opportunity to provide affordable homes for people who need them and that people cop themselves on and build this as quickly as possible.