Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister of State with responsibility for local government confirm the details that have been set by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in consultation with the chief executives of all 41 local authorities in respect of the delivery of affordable housing? We know, and it has been a major plank of the Rebuilding Ireland policy, that the Government would envisage the roll-out of a national affordable housing scheme and it is disappointing to say that, despite being three years on from that, we do not have a national affordable housing scheme in place. There are several reasons for that but they are not all the Minister of State's fault. We need to keep the focus on and deliver affordable housing, more purchase, and affordable homes for renting, particularly in the cities and the Dublin area. People know there are great difficulties in just renting a home at an affordable and sustainable price. There is a national problem that needs to be addressed.

It came to my attention recently that there was a draft affordable scheme of priorities proposed and brought by the management in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.I understand it was rejected across the political lines, including by councillors from the Minister of State's own party and those from other parties and none, because they had what they described as major difficulties with the flexibility of the scheme. I am talking about the draft affordable scheme of priorities for affordable housing. The argument, apparently, is that there is not sufficient flexibility locally in terms of the charges and other issues around all of that. I think we have a difficulty and I ask the Department to look specifically at this local authority. It is the one I know best, the one I live in and the council on which I served. This is only a very recent development and I know the Minister is aware of it. We need to look at the pitfalls and concerns expressed by elected members of this council. I understand it was unanimous across the board. They raised concerns. I do not know the legitimacy of those concerns or the detailed reasoning behind them. I understand that the director of housing on this council sent the draft report with comments back to the Minister, and that the Minister will have to come back to the council at some point.

I am mindful that in most local authorities there will only be one more council meeting before the local elections. Some councillors will not be re-elected and some will; there will be substantial changes across the 31 local authorities, no doubt. The key, substantive issue is that of affordability. What specific targets has the Government set? We have to talk about targets and keep monitoring them, otherwise we are not going to see the delivery of affordable homes to purchase and rent. Perhaps the Minister of State will enlighten me further. I ask him to relay to the Minister that we might look at Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown specifically because it is the only one I know that has been sent back to the Minister at this point. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from it and perhaps there are not but we should look at it. If everybody is rejecting a scheme of priorities and holding up an affordable scheme in a local authority, it has to be an issue of concern both to the Government and to the local authority in question.