Mary Henry (Independent)

While I welcome the Minister of State, I do not welcome the Bill. I hope those Senators in the Government parties who were Members of the last Seanad read the eulogies they delivered about the section dealing with social housing when the original Bill passed through the House just two years ago. I am certain that the pressure to make these changes has not come from the local authorities but from builders. They were the ones who were most unenthusiastic about this in the first place and it seems that it is very easy for them to get things changed. It took very little time for the parties in Government to decide that it was not working. Senator Terry said it was working in the Fingal area. I live in the notorious Dublin 4 area where it is working also. We should have been given specific examples of where the legislation has caused problems. The problems have been caused by building contractors deciding that they would not work the legislation.

I regret very much that the attempt to have a mix of social housing was not continued. Not every house in the notorious Dublin 4 is large. It has only been in the last 30 years or so that developments designed for one social class have been built. There was always mixed development. We are moving backwards again in deciding that mixed social housing will not do. Perhaps it is because €2.5 million could not be charged for a house in Carrickmines or wherever else if social housing was being built in the same area. That seems to be the only explanation.

I object to the proposal in the Bill that the more expensive developments can be built, but there is nothing to say the development of social housing at another location must be carried out simultaneously. There is nothing to ensure that in the land swaps with the local authority building must proceed at the same time. As we are all aware that the local authorities have had a reduction in their building funds, how will they manage to progress social housing just by getting the land? Will the financial compensation proposed to be given to local authorities be adequate to provide such housing? The Bill is disappointing. I hope those Senators who were Members of the last Seanad will remember to read their speeches and see the enthusiasm with which they greeted the original Bill, about which I, too, was very enthusiastic.