Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I support the call for a debate on housing, particularly Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which concerns social and affordable housing. I understand that in many instances, developers have got around the need for social and affordable housing by virtue of broad sweep outline planning permission and I want to find out if this is true. I also wish to debate the unevenness of practice throughout the country. Some local authorities will accept cash in lieu of social and affordable housing, while others will accept other sites. There is also the question of whether some local authorities insist it must be in the particular development itself. I would like a debate on the matter to enable us establish the definitive rules or if such exist.

I strongly support what Senator Terry said about pensions. I hope the Minister for Finance in the forthcoming budget will provide greater flexibility in regard to encouraging the provision of pensions, of which there is such a shortfall. In particular, he should allow more flexibility in terms of all the cash that is supposed to, and no doubt will, flow from SSIAs, as he has been restrictive in regard to the rules in place pertaining to them. He could allow much more flexibility in that respect and hopefully he will do so in his Budget Statement.