Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I am sorry that I am slightly out of breath. I have just returned from An Bord Pleanála where I attended in respect of the 3,500 units being developed at Poolbeg west, which is in Ringsend. Last week, it came to public attention that the receiver was appealing the requirement for 900 social and affordable units. There was an agreement on 18 May 2017 that there would be 900 social and affordable units on that site. It was written into the special development zone, SDZ, terms. It then followed that there was to be negotiations between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Dublin City Council and the receiver in respect of the delivery of the 550 units which are not covered by legislation. Unfortunately, nothing happened for ten months. At five minutes to midnight yesterday, the assistant CEO of Dublin City Council, Mr. Shakespeare, issued a letter saying that negotiations commenced at the weekend. The inaction and inactivity by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, which says that social and affordable housing is a priority, is a joke. What is going on?

We are not only in a social housing crisis, but also an affordable housing crisis. The programme for Government states that an affordable housing scheme would be announced. There is an affordable loans scheme, but no affordable housing scheme. I have spent two days at An Bord Pleanála. I have raised this issue twice under Commencement matters in this House. The Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, told me 18 months ago that there was no need for a pilot scheme on affordable housing on the Poolbeg west or the old Irish Glass Bottle sites and that there would be a national programme. We have no national programme and we have no plans for affordable housing. We nearly lost, and may still lose, 550 units in a prime location 2 km from the city centre. We will have no integrated housing, rather we will have a dormant village in the heart of the city. That is poor planning.

This is at the Minister of State's door. I am sorry that neither the Minister of State, Deputy English, nor the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is here because I am angry, as is the local community, but this goes much further than just Ringsend, Sandymount and Pearse Street. Affordable housing is a national issue. All we have heard from this Government is talk, but we have seen no action. Negotiations only began at five minutes to midnight with the likelihood of losing 550 units. That is unacceptable to me. We want to see action. This is in the Minister, Deputy Murphy's own back garden, yet we have seen no action from him. Do we not care about affordable housing and social housing? Certainly in the community in which I live, my neighbours feel that the Government no longer has any focus and only worries about the next headcount, which is getting bigger. Urban villages in this city are being destroyed due to a lack of planning, a lack of commitment from this Government and a lack of policy.

I am sorry the Minister of State is here because it should be the Minister of State, Deputy English, or the Minister, Deputy Murphy, taking this debate. I know the Minister of State, Deputy English, has a pain in his head from listening to me talking about affordability in this city and I wonder if that is the reason he is not here today. We need action, not words.