Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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The Minister of State is welcome back to the House. He is no stranger to housing and the Department of housing and local government. My Commencement matter relates to Ardrew in Athy, County Kildare. I am also going to mention a number of other projects related to County Kildare.

The Minister of State may or may not be aware that the construction of over 70 social housing units in a community building project scheme for Ardrew has been halted by the Department of housing, which is the Department charged with the promotion of sustainable planning and development and tackling our housing crisis. It is strange to be in a position where the Department is clearly reconsidering a number of housing projects. I would be interested to hear the reason for that from the Minister of State, but the Department cited the overall cost of the project at Ardrew, which was considered too high. The construction of new homes at Ardrew was planned to begin in a few weeks' time. Indeed, builders were on site and preparatory works were being carried out. This project was ready to go. The Department had considerable notice of it and was fully aware of the finances, planning and various stages associated with this proposed development. This did not come out of the blue. It begs the question of who is minding the shop down in the Custom House in respect of our social housing programme. Planning approval was in place and the contractors were ready to go. This was, of course, all part of a public-private partnership. The Ardrew project was part of bundle 3. For those who are not acquainted with the bundle system - I am conscious that there are always people listening in - housing construction bundles are associated with a specific group of social housing projects within a large PPP programme, where private contractors take on the design, build, finance, operation and tenancy management of a set number of social housing units with the support of the Government and within a scheme.

The Ardrew housing development is not the only one affected by the Department's interventions. The Department has confirmed that housing developments under bundles 4 and 5 are also to be reconsidered in the context of the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA. I can see why that might be necessary.

The developments affected by these reviews consist of 60 social homes at Oldtown Mill in Celbridge, County Kildare; 99 social homes and 32 affordable homes in Coolaghknock Glebe in Kildare town; 104 social homes in Rathasker in Naas, County Kildare; and 98 social homes and 40 affordable homes in Rickardstown in Newbridge, County Kildare. This sets the scene in Kildare alone.

Returning to the Ardrew project, over 800 people are on the housing list in the Athy municipal district area. That is only one part of the county. There is a desperate need for four-bedroom units based on medical and overcrowding assessment and need, and they have been validated. Some of these units would have been four-bedroom. The Department has decided to reconsider all aspects of bundles 4 to 7 in the Kildare County Council area.

There is a crisis. There is grave disappointment at the lack of progress. The fact that the Minister and the Department have agreed to reassess all of these at such a late stage, particularly with regard to Ardrew where people were ready to go, is very disappointing.

I acknowledge the work of former Senator Mark Wall, who is now a TD, and his councillors. They have really been the advocates of this. I met people on the ground in Athy last Saturday. I am shocked at what I am hearing but, more importantly, what I am seeing and what I have validated from cross-referencing with the Department and Kildare County Council. I hope that the Minister of State will be able to enlighten us on these matters.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I am glad to have the opportunity to discuss the future of social housing PPP bundle 3, the individual project at Ardrew in Athy, County Kildare, and the next steps following the recent decision regarding the procurement process.

The Government and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are committed to increasing the supply of new-build social and affordable homes. Increasing the overall housing supply is key to addressing the housing challenge. On 3 June, following a detailed evaluation, the Department made the considered decision not to proceed to contract award for social housing PPP bundle 3 through the existing PPP programme route. This decision was not taken lightly. It was driven by concerns about the overall cost of the project, which, upon review, was deemed to be too high to represent the most efficient use of public funds.

However, I stress that this is not a withdrawal from our commitment to delivering the homes that bundle 3 was designed to provide, including the site at Ardrew. The Department, in collaboration with the NDFA and the four local authorities involved, remains fully dedicated to ensuring these social housing units are built as soon as possible.

Work is already under way to proceed quickly to an alternative procurement and delivery approach. The Department is working with its programme leaders, the NDFA and the relevant local authorities, including Kildare County Council, to ensure there is no loss of momentum. Meetings are taking place with stakeholders and initial discussions have confirmed a shared urgency and determination to progress these construction projects.

Importantly, all four local authorities involved - Dublin City Council, Wicklow, Kildare and Sligo - have already secured full planning permission for the sites in question, representing a total of 486 homes, 73 of which will be delivered in Athy. This is a significant advantage, as it allows us to move straight into revising the delivery mechanism.The focus will be on immediately progressing a new procurement strategy likely to be designed and build public works contracts and the adoption of modern methods of construction, MMC. These approaches not only offer efficiencies in terms of time and cost but also align with our sustainability and quality goals.

While the original procurement route for PPP bundle 3 will not be pursued, our commitment to delivering these vital homes remains. With strong partnerships already in place and planning approval secured, I believe this alternative strategy will ultimately lead to a successful delivery and a more effective and efficient result for public investment.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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That reply is exceptionally disappointing and simply not good enough. The Minister of State is not in a position to tell me when the Ardrew housing scheme in Athy, County Kildare, will be advanced. It really is appalling. The housing scheme has planning permission, yet the project has sat on his table in his Department. As Kildare County Council has confirmed, the Department has been aware of all the developments I listed. If I was one of the nearly 5,000 people on Kildare County Council's housing list, I would be disappointed.

The Minister of State did not give a timeline or date for when these works will start. I accept and respect the fact that he is speaking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage but that is no consolation to the people in County Kildare who are on the housing list. This site is advanced. All of these sites and bundles have planning permission. What the hell, who is minding the housing issue in the Custom House when we have been told time and again that we have a housing crisis? Clearly, we are not important enough for the Department to advance these units. I ask the Minister of State to confirm to me that I can go downstairs and pick up the phone to the guys in Kildare County Council and say this project will happen within six weeks, six months or six years.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator again for raising this very important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne.

While the decision not to proceed with the original procurement route for PPP bundle 3 was difficult, it was made in the best interest of value for the Exchequer and long-term programme viability. My Department's responsibility is to ensure that every project we deliver is not only aligned with our social objectives but also financially sustainable and accountable to the public. What remains unchanged is the commitment to delivering these 486 much-needed social homes, including the planned 73 units for Athy, County Kildare. We are fortunate to have planning permission in place and we have highly engaged partners in the NDFA and local authorities, which are ready to move at pace. This allows us to move quickly into alternative procurement and delivery strategies that are most cost-effective and efficient. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has already begun co-ordinated discussions with stakeholders to agree the next steps. We will move swiftly to explore procurement options in innovative construction methods to meet delivery targets in a timely manner. I am confident that with the expertise and commitment across the programme, we will deliver these homes successfully.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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When?