Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

My interest is housing. The land coming to us from different Departments and agencies was land that was in their ownership for years and was surplus to any short or medium-term need. It would seem strange, therefore, that land recently bought would be transferred. What we wanted — I am coming at this from the point of view of affordable housing rather than hospital services — was free land or sites to provide affordable housing. If land had been bought privately at high expense, it would not seem to be of value to us unless the Department in question or the HSE was going to give us a present of it and not try to recoup the moneys paid from us.

I have not tied down the land we were offered. We heard from the Department of Health and Children that there was a possibility of some land being available, but that it remained to be sorted out, agreed and examined in greater detail. As far as we are concerned that examination is close to finalisation. It may be that we will get some land to provide affordable housing or it may be that the Department or the HSE will come back to us and say they have less land or no land available to us. We await their decision.

That is our approach. We do not pay for the land and therefore no moneys would cross from my Department. I cannot make statements or give any commitments about developments of the Health Service Executive. I am interested in cheap land on which we can provide affordable housing.