Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader considering inviting the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, to the House to explain and give some rationale regarding a proposal that was announced in the national media yesterday about the provision of €200 million for a critical infrastructure fund? We know we have a social and affordable housing crisis in this country. Everyone in politics and public life knows that, and the citizens know it, yet it seems to be taking so long to address it. From talking to councillors right around the country we know that critical infrastructure is short in many places. We know many bad planning decisions were made where no critical infrastructure was provided on land that was zoned by people of all parties and none across local government. We also know the Planning and Development Act clearly provides for sections 48 and 49 levy schemes for planning permissions to provide for contributions by developers to development, and ultimately they would be ring-fenced for critical infrastructure to aid, assist and bring about those developments.I refer, in particular, to housing. It is great that, yesterday and the day before, the Minister made a host of announcements in the media that funding for housing is coming, which is welcome. It is interesting that this Minister has hit the ground running with announcements but they must go a bit further. I note that in today's edition of The Irish Times, there has been a correction regarding these announcements yesterday in the media and that this funding will not come until the back end of 2017. I ask the Leader for clarification in this regard because, throughout the country, approvals for planning permission are withering on the vine because developers cannot get projects off the ground as a result of the lack of infrastructure and bad planning in preparing for that infrastructure. More importantly, in some cases it is not viable and I was informed the other day of a cost of €45,000 in respect of critical infrastructure before one even gets going. As that will not happen, Members must face up to the reality. A continuous supply of affordable and social housing is needed and I look forward to partaking in the debate on homelessness later because this also is part of this subject. However, I ask the Leader to invite the Minister into the Chamber to clarify what is this fund, when will it come on stream and where he will allocate it.