Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 10, subsection (1), line 7, to delete "works or services" and substitute "works, services and tenancy services".

I refer to section 11 and we are talking about housing services, which are an important function of local authorities across social and affordable housing, grants, loans, etc. Section 11 refers to ancillary services. If we examine where local authorities have historically delivered housing projects there has been a gaping deficit in the level of support services provided to support the people who live in those estates. We have had tenements in our history and sprawling estates, mainly in our cities, where houses were built and large multitudes of people housed without any support.

I am glad section 11 refers to ancillary services which include roads, shops, playgrounds, places of recreation, parks, allotments, open space, sites for places of worship, factories, schools, offices and other buildings or lands and other such works or services. It is good that the Bill acknowledges that where people live there is a need for supports such as education and recreation.

We are tabling this amendment because we need to acknowledge that tenants live in these housing estates. For a long time Irish property habits has focused on the rights and needs of home owners. The needs and considerations of tenants has been mostly an afterthought. New regulations for the standards of rented accommodation will be introduced only this year, after decades of ignoring horrifically low standards in tenants' conditions. The Bill should expand the definition of ancillary services to include services intended to support tenancies. Even with property prices falling, a significant sector of Irish society cannot afford new dwellings and will remain tenants. When drafting legislation, these people could be considered as much as home owners. For that reason the amendment specifies "works, services and tenancy services" to give a real acknowledgement and definition of tenancy services in legislation.