Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

An earlier speaker called for the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coffey, to come to the House. It is important that we have a debate on the moneys allocated to local authorities for the house building programme. For example, more than €204 million has been allocated for Cork, money which is to be spent over a three year timeframe. I would like to know if the rules around delivery of that programme provide for a review at the end of that three year timeframe or if reviews will be undertaken at six, 12, 18 and 24 month intervals to determine what action local authorities have taken and how far advanced they are in terms of delivery of the programme. I am deeply concerned about this issue. I have sought a meeting on it with the housing department of Cork City Council. Six weeks on, no meeting has yet been arranged. It concerns me that money is being allocated but we are not acting fast enough to respond to people's needs. The Minister and the Department need to clarify this issue.

I would like also to touch on the point made by Senator Norris in regard to developers being allowed to commence new developments without having completed previous developments. It is a valid issue, one of which we need to be mindful to ensure that the mistakes made five, six, seven or eight years ago are not repeated. Linked to this is the issue of whether local authorities are calling in bonds on time. I have come across a number of cases where the bonds had expired before the local authority called them in, resulting in taxpayers' money having to be used to complete estates. That is unsatisfactory. It is in that context that I believe the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government should come to the House to debate the allocation of moneys and the mechanisms put in place by the local authorities to ensure full delivery on the programme of residential accommodation.