Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern. I compliment him on his performance in the Department in terms of housing. He came to the Department at a time when housing was a major problem. I also compliment the Department on providing funding for services to enable us to build houses in our towns and villages.

Speakers have referred to various points. Local authorities have a part to play in terms of future housing policy to ensure there is access to facilities, namely, shops, schools, etc., when housing developments are allowed to proceed. Too often our local authorities allow developments to take place without looking at the bigger picture. This lack of facilities has caused problems for some people in new estates.

I compliment the Minister of State on the money he has made available to local authorities. Many people have benefitted from improvements to housing stock. I welcome the upgrading of heating systems, especially in local authority housing. People appreciate these improvements.

The cost of sites is a problem. People are coming into areas and giving substantial amounts of money for land. In some cases this land should have been made available for small farmers to expand their holdings. I have heard Members complain frequently on the Order of Business about planning problems. In rural areas, the local authority dictates by virtue of its county development plan. Planners are told what can happen in particular areas. At one time we changed the county development plan in County Offaly to allow more development to take place because of a fall in population. This has paid off as people have gone there and built homes in rural areas in the county.

I welcome the mix of social and affordable housing in the new housing developments that are now coming on stream. Previously, developments did not have to comply with the provisions on social and affordable housing. I urge the Minister to ensure that local authorities would deal with these provisions speedily to ensure social and affordable houses are given out to successful applicants as quickly as possible so that estates would not remain unfinished for a long period of time. There is an onus on local authorities to make these allocations as quickly as possible.

Local authorities must be careful to ensure local people are allowed to build houses and live in their own areas. We must not give an opportunity to developers to buy sites and make a great deal of money. That is not the intention. Local authorities can overcome this problem by putting in a clause in planning permissions ensuring residency for at least five years. This would stop developers and ensure people could afford to live in their local area.

Problems have been experienced in regard to housing aid for the elderly and essential repairs grants. Those who are dealing with cases will not approve grant aid for elderly people in rented accommodation. In some cases the previous generation also lived there and the family will continue to live in the houses in question. As an absent landlord rather than the elderly person is the registered owner, neither the Health Service Executive, HSE, nor the local authorities will spend money. The Minister of State might ensure that the families present for the long haul are afforded the opportunity to make what are minor repairs in some cases on behalf of elderly people or people with disabilities. There are a number of cases in every county.

Will the Minister of State speak to county managers and housing officials in local authorities concerning the provision of private sites in towns and villages, which is a good scheme? Private sites allow young couples to build houses of their own design rather than the uniform houses on estates, thereby removing people from the housing list.

I compliment the Minister of State on his work in the Department, as there are significant improvements throughout the country. There are many water and sewerage services available in our towns and villages that allow us to build houses for the people in the area who require them. I wish the Minister of State well and I look forward to further funding for local authorities.