Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House to take this matter. This is an extraordinary situation. In early 2004, 16 hectares of land were made available to Cork County Council to provide affordable houses to people in west Cork. From the outset, this land, in an idyllic setting beside a church and school in a local village, was ideal for the provision of housing for those who cannot afford to purchase a site and build their own house. The Fine Gael councillors in west Cork, however, tried to prevent the scheme. I want the Minister of State and the Department to ensure that three years later, this project will commence. Not a sod has been turned so far.

The entire project was frustrated and every possible obstacle put in its way from the outset, something I find astonishing after a quarter of a century in public life. A total of 16 hectares of prime land was made available and the architectural department in Cork County Council put its expertise and professionalism to work, designing a beautiful eco-village where young people could make a home in a location with every facility for children and adults. Out of nothing short of rural snobbery, the local Fine Gael councillors decided to stop this because they did not want to lower the tone of the area. It is incredible.

This culminated on 22 May 2006 in a motion before a meeting of Cork County Council to allow the scheme to go ahead. An amendment was put down by Councillor Maura Cal McCarthy, seconded by Councillor Kevin Murphy, to reject this eco-village at Darrara, Clonakilty, County Cork. A vote was taken and Councillors K. Murphy, Kelly, Ryan, Canty, Pyne, O'Doherty, M. Murphy, Buckley, Sheahan and McCarthy voted against it. Thankfully a majority of the council voted in favour. To this day, however, the project is progressing at a snail's pace and no work has been done on the site.

I want to ensure the people in the area I represent can get an affordable home of their own and that the land in this idyllic village is put at their disposal. I would like a commitment from the Minister of State that the Department will ensure the project will go ahead despite the obstruction of the Fine Gael councillors. It is so incredible. In my 25 years in this House representing the people of Cork South-West, I have never come across anything like it. It is down to nothing other than sheer rural snobbery, not wanting to bring what Fine Gael would regard as people who are looking for social or affordable housing into a locality where they would lower the tone. I reject that.

This means nothing to me politically, I am not standing in the next election, but I want to ensure before leaving public life that this project goes ahead. I have only until May and I want the Minister of State who has responsibility for affordable housing schemes to give me a commitment that the project will go ahead. There will only be 100 houses but it is vital that local people have a chance to buy their own homes and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government pushes ahead with this project.

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

The site in Clonakilty was one of the sites released to the affordable housing initiative announced in December 2003. It was released by Deputy Walsh during his tenure as Minister for Agriculture and Food. I acknowledge that fact because the Deputy and the Department were helpful at the time in putting forward a number of sites for the initiative. The support and co-operation of Deputy Walsh and the Department were significant.

Lead responsibility for planning and developing this project rests with Cork County Council and officials in the Department are in regular contact with the council to ensure the project is advanced as quickly as possible. On completion of the development, the site will comprise a mix of affordable, social, voluntary and private homes, with 74 of the 104 homes being made available under the initiative. Affordable homes are private homes. There are people who try to mix them up with other forms of housing. They come with a discount but they are private homes owned by those who move into them.

I appreciate the Deputy's concerns about the lack of pace in progress on this project. I am anxious to see the project moving ahead as quickly as possible and that is the basis on which my Department is engaging with Cork County Council on the matter. We want this to happen quickly. From the time a site is acquired, it can take a couple of years before houses are ready for people to move in but progress in this scheme has been painfully slow.

A crucial stage in advancing this project is the completion of the design phase and the submission of an application under Part VIII of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 for the approval of the elected members before it can proceed. Having advertised for expressions of interest for the preparation of the relevant documentation required for the Part VIII process, and for the preparation of cost plans, tender documentation and the construction contract, the council will be holding interviews on 23 March. This should allow for consultants to be appointed in April, clearing the way for the commencement of the Part VIII preparatory work.

The successful completion of the Part VIII process will determine the date that construction can commence on the site. Given the central role of the elected members of the council in this regard, I urge the councillors to engage proactively with council officials with a view to expediting the matter. I assure the Deputy that the Department will also continue to monitor progress and liaise with the council to ensure the project is completed as speedily as possible.

Throughout the process to date, I have stressed the importance of avoiding any unnecessary delays and ensuring, where feasible, that processes are paralleled. That, unfortunately, has not happened. When the plan went through in May 2006, I thought the Part VIII process would proceed quickly, but here we are talking about doing it nine months later. At every stage, for whatever reason, be it council members or officials, we are moving at a snail's pace. The election is coming and because Deputy Walsh was so centrally involved in granting the site, some council members are determined there will be no sign of the houses starting before the election. The Department, however, is determined this will commence and that is what will happen. Given that things have gone so slowly, they will not start now because the Part VIII process will take a number of months and we need the co-operation of the members. They have probably boxed themselves into a corner and will not be able to do it within that timeframe. However, life does not end whenever the election takes place in May or June. The Department is determined that this work will proceed and it will keep pressing the matter. The Government originally designated this site as part of the affordable housing initiative in December 2003. It is very disappointing that we have not yet got planning. However, it will happen. I hope the people down there and all elected representatives will be in a different mood once the election is over. Regardless of who might be Minister, the Department will continue to push to get those badly needed houses built. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.