Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)

Social and affordable housing has been mentioned and highlighted. We need to address the circumstances in which a developer can give money to a local authority instead of providing the social and affordable mix in the scheme under development. When the legislation dealing with this matter was being considered in the House, I wanted to ensure developments included affordable and social housing so we would not have groups of well-heeled people ensuring nobody of other social classes could enter their estates. This issue must be examined. When one gives a large amount of money to a local authority, it will not always be spent in the area in question and may not be of benefit.

I welcome the Bill and hope we will discuss it in more detail on Committee Stage. I wish the Minister, Deputy Roche, the Ministers of State, Deputies Batt O'Keeffe and Noel Ahern, and their officials well in dealing with this Bill.