Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

The Minister referred to problems in areas where large numbers of local authority houses were built. I could point to many very badly built housing estates where individuals on low or no incomes were housed. There are some in Tallaght and Blanchardstown, with which I am familiar, and others throughout the country. One of the main problems associated with such estates was the lack of facilities. Thousands of individuals were housed in areas where there was hardly a shop nearby. This was the case in many parts of Blanchardstown. Retailers sold groceries and chips from caravans and they thrived because there were no other shops nearby. There was no swimming pool or playing field in some of the areas and, in some cases, residents had even to fight for schools. These are the main reasons there were such grave problems in the areas in question, and there are still problems in the affected areas today. Some did not even have a community centre and some still do not.

I agree with the Minister that having a social mix is very important, and that it is difficult to achieve it in the areas in question. It is not good for any community to have just one group of residents, be they unemployed or perhaps of a certain ethnic background. We must learn lessons from the mistakes made in this regard but I am not sure the Government's proposal is the way to do so. It will be interesting to see how it pans out. To use that as the main reason for ensuring social integration and regeneration of an area, much more needs to be done. I understand many additional social facilities have been put in place in Ballymun to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes we made in the past. Building high-rise flats or apartments should not lead to problems. People throughout Europe live in high-rise buildings and do not encounter the problems being experienced here. If we expect families to live in high-rise buildings and the State has a responsibility for those families, we must ensure we maintain those buildings and the general environment, including the lifts and the cleaning of the buildings.

I can take the Minister to see four or five storey buildings in the city that are a disgrace. They are not in the Minister's constituency but they are not far from it. The common areas are not cleaned regularly and even when they are cleaned, they are still not what the Minister and I would expect when we open our doors in the morning. We will achieve social integration if we maintain the buildings, provide the local services and facilities and ensure we educate and train the people who live in those units.

I am concerned about enshrining this provision in legislation. Perhaps it could have been done in another way by proper management. I do not like to see this type of legislation going through the Houses. It is poor legislation which I am concerned about and cannot support.