Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this matter to be discussed. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, who has made himself available to take this debate.

I am raising this matter out of deep frustration with the fact that while 15 hectares of suitable land was made available to Cork County Council for an affordable housing scheme two and a half years ago, little or no progress has since been made. In the meantime, young people, many of whom are on reasonable salaries, cannot afford to acquire houses of their own. In the west Cork region, sites typically cost between €200,000 and €250,000 and houses cost between €450,000 and €750,000. In a recent survey, Clonakilty was deemed to be the most expensive part of the country, including Dublin city and elsewhere.

These young people who want their own homes call to me as their representative and ask me what the Government is doing about the lack of progress, to which I reply that the local authority has a difficulty. In the worst example of rural snobbery I have encountered in 30 years in public life, Fine Gael tried to stymie this development. In June, however, a clear majority of Cork County Council voted in favour of the project notwithstanding a minority of Fine Gael councillors who voted against it out of pure snobbery.

These young people are fine citizens. They work locally and want nothing more than their own homes. The council received the land as a gift from Teagasc, but it is frustrating and reprehensible that, on the face of it, nothing has been done. I have been told by council officials that this matter must go through a section 8 process. The scenic route taken is baffling. After June, there should have been no significant problem. I was told that the matter needed to be advertised in various journals, but I have yet to see any advertisement. We are approaching the middle of October and Christmas advertisements are already in the newspapers.

Fair play to the Minister of State, who went to the trouble of visiting the site on foot of my report that nothing was happening locally. I ask that he instruct the housing authority to take this matter seriously and give it priority. It will be a lovely eco-village of 100 houses with playing pitches and all sorts of amenities. It is a crying shame that it is not currently going ahead. I would appreciate positive news from the Minister of State, who was kind enough to appear in the House in response to my raising this matter.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank Deputy Walsh for his continuing interest in this project.

The site in Clonakilty was one of the sites released to the affordable housing initiative by Deputy Walsh and I acknowledge both this and the other sites released by him to the initiative during his tenure as Minister for Agriculture and Food. While progress on this site may appear to be slow, Cork County Council, whose responsibility it is to plan and develop this project, states it is advancing this project as speedily as possible. Officials in my Department are in constant contact with the council to monitor progress and to ensure that any obstacles to progress are dealt with. I am aware that senior officials of the Department and the county council have met in Cork recently to discuss this and other affordable housing projects throughout County Cork.

I will not go through the detail of the various steps that have taken place to date, although it is important to mention that a feasibility assessment of the site was deemed necessary in the first instance. Following this and the ensuing public consultation on the outcome of the feasibility study, a proposal to amend the local area plan was advertised and at its meeting on 22 May 2006, the council voted after many objections to approve the amended plan.

While the council considered a number of different options in developing the site, in terms of developing it in one phase or a number of phases, I held the view that the site should be developed in one phase and I am happy that the council is proceeding along these lines. The site will comprise a mix of affordable, social, voluntary and private homes, with 74 of the 104 homes being made available under the affordable housing scheme.

The next stage in the process is to apply for Part 8 planning and the council advertised for expressions of interest from consultants on 22 September 2006, for the preparation of the relevant documentation required for the Part 8 process, and for the preparation of cost plans, tender documentation and construction contract.

Due to the size of the project, the advertisement was also placed in the EU Journal. The closing date for expressions of interest is 31 October 2006 at which stage the council will short-list a number of bidders and proceed with the selection process to select the successful bidder. The next stage will be to apply for Part 8 and the outcome of the planning process will determine when construction can commence on the site. The ultimate aim, as with all projects under the affordable housing initiative, is to give people affordable homes as quickly as possible and I look forward to the day when all 104 homes are occupied and a new vibrant and successful community is in place.

I thank Deputy Walsh for the site and for pressing this matter, locally and nationally. I think I have been successful in increasing the output of affordable homes. However, I need the co-operation of local authority officials and elected members in this regard. The help from the elected members on Cork County Council has been reluctantly dragged out of them, and this applies to Fine Gael members in particular. As I see it, Fine Gael does not want these houses to be ready, or even started, by the date of the next election. They probably will be successful because their delaying tactics and snobbish attitude to this idea from the very beginning will probably see that the work will not start by the date of the election. I am trying and I am pressing the officials in the Department to do all they can, but we have lost many months through these delaying tactics. While I will keep up the pressure, it is quite likely at this stage that the delaying tactics by Fine Gael members on the council have been successful.

I note that Deputy Walsh, like me, would very much like to see the bulldozer even going on site the day before the election, but time is quickly running out and the filibustering and delaying tactics by the county council, and by the elected members in particular, has been successful. I promise Deputy Walsh that I will continue to press the matter, through the officials, with the county council as best I can.