John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive statement on his Department's response to the unique challenges presented by Covid-19. I acknowledge the 100% commercial waiver he provided to local authorities across the country. The sum of €1 billion is unprecedented, but it is an acknowledgement of the challenges that businesses the length and breadth of the country are facing. The Minister has extended the waiver for quarter 1 of this year, but in light of the current circumstances and the likelihood that normal trade will not resume until the second half of the year, I ask that he consider extending it to quarter 2 so as to give certainty to businesses and local authorities. On the construction sector and the impact it will have on output this year, which the Minister touched on, I argue, as I did on the Order of Business last week, that a discussion is needed on exactly what is essential construction. As the Minister knows well, any housing unit that is delivered in this State, whether social, private or affordable, has an impact on supply. Even housing units provided in the private rental or purchase markets free stock for others. We need to look at prioritising residential construction in a phased reopening of the construction sector. It may not be popular to say it but the commercial element can wait but the residential sector cannot.

There are more issues connected to this. There are people waiting to draw down mortgages who are on tight timelines and people have contracts for residential accommodation that are coming to an end. These people may be waiting to move into a new property that might be two or three weeks away from completion but it is not being completed because of the construction shutdown. I ask that the Minister take urgent action in that regard.

The Minister is correct to highlight the progress being made on the homelessness numbers. It is a very emotive matter, as he knows, but significant progress has been made in my county of Waterford in the past number of years, as we have seen a reduction in family homelessness of 93%. Figures for individual homelessness are down by 55% at a time when presentations to homelessness services have effectively doubled. Why was that achieved in Waterford? As I stated at an Oireachtas committee meeting last week, it was due to the establishment of an integrated homelessness hub that the Minister saw in action before Christmas. The local authority, non-government organisations, the approved housing bodies and the HSE are all in one building, working hand in glove. If anything positive comes from this Covid-19 crisis, it is that we are seeing a more collaborative approach and less of a silo effect in dealing with the homelessness crisis.

A major contributing factor to reducing those numbers in Waterford has been use of the repair and lease scheme. I am like a broken record saying it but 44% of all one-bedroom and two-bedroom units provided in recent years in Waterford have been via the repair and lease scheme. Waterford has essentially been the sole local authority that has driven the repair and lease scheme, which has had a positive impact in reducing dereliction on our high street while providing much-needed housing units. We have had time for local authorities to take up or use the scheme but they have not done so, despite the fact that it has proven to be successful in places like Waterford. I ask the Minister to impose targets on local authorities across the country for the delivery of units. They respond to targets and they are required.

In that context, will the Minister address the exemption for converting commercial property to residential property? I raised this before and it does not make sense that a shop on one corner of the street can essentially be exempt but a former public house on another corner has to go through a full planning process, including development contributions. This is a way of providing much-needed housing units and it is causing the process to slow. I know I have raised the question before and I appreciate the Department is very busy but I ask that action be taken in this respect. On the provision of cost rental, which has been discussed - the Minister touched on it and Senator Craughwell mentioned affordable housing - I welcome the fact that we will have 400 units delivered this year. I am aware that the Housing Finance Agency had first call in that regard. I ask that prioritisation be given to a second call of that and that it would happen quickly to ensure the delivery of further cost rental units at the start of 2022 rather than putting out the call later in the year and for those cost rental units to come on stream only in the latter part of 2022. There are projects in my county of Waterford, as there are in other local authority and city areas in particular, that really need to be prioritised for cost rental.

I have about a minute left and I have probably missed a few issues but I want to acknowledge the work of the Minister and his predecessor with regard to the North Quays and the provision of money for the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF. Like everything to do with housing, many foundations need to be put in. Addressing homelessness and housing supply does not happen overnight, as the Minister well knows. The Opposition might like to magic houses out of thin air, but it takes years of planning for them to come to fruition.

With regard to the URDF, and Waterford was successful in terms of the North Quays, there is a further round due very soon. I ask that the decision in that regard is prioritised as soon as possible so that when construction gets going again, those projects throughout our country can take off. To be parochial for a moment, there is a very good project in for my county of Waterford, which I am sure the Minister will prioritise.