The changes will take place from the time of the commencement notice being signed for new permissions. A transition period is allowed for someone who has purchased already. There is a period of five years when the 10% will apply but there is an activation measure where if it is not developed, an additional 10% will apply to the land. For any new land purchase after the commencement order is signed, where someone lodges a planning application later this year, for example, there will be a requirement of 10% social ho…

I thank all Senators and Deputies. This is a significant day, with the Bill having passed the Oireachtas within just over a year of the formation of this Government. I thank the team in the Department, who have done an incredible job throughout. I thank all the members of the joint committee for their input from pre-legislative scrutiny onwards. This puts affordability back at the heart of the solution to our housing problem. It is priority, primary legislation and it will support young and not-so-young people to g…

Unfortunately, I am not in a position to accept the amendment. The Senator has explained her position and why she believes it is appropriate. I oppose it on the basis that the LDA is entirely separate to NAMA. We have spent a lot of time on this. The LDA exists, and has existed for a number of years now, but it does not have legislation to underpin it. We need to get the LDA set up on a primary legislative footing so we can actually capitalise it, allow it to get on with delivering homes for people on State-owned l…

I will address all the amendments in the group and speak to them. The Affordable Housing Bill just went through the House. Members will know that we accepted some Opposition amendments when we could. We are always open to doing that but these amendments seek to amend section 2 of the Bill, which provides for the purpose of the Bill by inserting a reference to public, social and affordable housing. I am opposing these amendments because there is already a reference to affordable and social housing in this section, a…

We have made some changes already. This came up on Committee Stage at the joint committee and there was a good discussion around it. I brought in an amendment on Report Stage. I believe the LDA can add value here. The Government and I have always completely supported the provision of Traveller accommodation. I have always done so right through and I feel strongly about it. This year we have seen an increase in the budget for Traveller accommodation of €15.5 million and it will all be spent. Points have been made ar…

There is a Government commitment to ending direct provision and we will do this. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and others have been involved in the publication of the White Paper in this regard. I have been heavily involved, as has the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on the justice side, because we want to and will bring an end to direct provision. I have had discussions with the Minister and this has also come up at the joint Oireachtas committee. It is for the specific Department to source the necessary accommodation …

I will just deal with the amendments before me. To remind Senators, we are seeking to use land that is lying idle right now. We talk about new communities or regeneration but we are not excluding anyone. Some of these are old industrial units or old hospitals, such as the site in Dundrum. In many instances, it is about creating new communities. The amendments tabled, specifically Nos. 9, 10 and 16, seek to amend section 2 to include reference to “vibrant, sustainable, mixed income communities” or to change referenc…

I will deal with the amendments shortly but if anything, having an agency that will ensure that State land comes out and into the market, for want of a better term, that in itself could have a very significantly positive effect with regard to land price and cost, etc., because we will be activating lands for use. We reckon that we have enough zoned and serviced State land to deliver about 114,000 homes across the country but what is happening with it? Very little and that is why this Government wants to get to grip…

I thank both Senators for their contributions. The subsection as currently drafted states that one of the purposes of the legislation is to promote best practice in housing development. This amendment would go further and Senator Casey has dealt with it very well there. The LDA will promote best practice in housing development and in line with this provision will use innovation and innovative construction methods. Like any builder, it will be required to comply with all appropriate building standards that are in pl…

I thank the Senators for the amendments and the contributions they have made. I will not detain the House any longer than I have to on these amendments other than to state I cannot accept amendments Nos. 20 and 77 to 81, inclusive. I wish to explain some of the rationale that has been addressed as part of the discussion. Amendment No. 20 seeks to amend section 4, which provides definitions of references made in the Bill. I already made substantial amendments previously. I brought forward amendments in Part 9 on Rep…

There are 268 acres in Malahide Castle. I wonder why that land is not covered in the amendment because obviously, we want to build on that too. This amendment was not moved with as much gusto in the Dáil by the acting spokesperson, Deputy Duncan Smith. Even Deputy Smith understood the purpose of this amendment. If one was ever to look at creating an issue out of a non-issue, this is probably one of the most spectacular examples of it. It is a magnificent misrepresentation and manipulation of the facts. Senator Byrn…

I banned co-living.

I thank the Senators for their contributions. Many different points were raised, all of which are valid. With regard to plans for local authorities and what their strategic policy committees do, I have always been at pains to say that I firmly believe in rebalancing the power between local elected members and the executive in local authorities. We need to empower our councillors and we are certainly trying to do so. With regard to the amendments of Senators Boyhan and Higgins, I will finish as I started and say tha…

Níl aon airgead fágtha agam.

I thank the Deputies for the amendments that have been tabled. For context, I remind Members, although I am sure they are well aware, that although there may be issues with different perspectives, this is the most comprehensive affordable housing legislation ever published. One of the Deputies said it is scant on detail, but I ask him to compare it with any other affordable housing proposals, let alone legislation or Bills, that have been published over a long number of years. I am absolutely confident it will work…

I will try to explain a few things in order to be helpful to Deputies. I will refer back to Deputy Boyd Barrett first, and then the other Deputies. We are dealing with the reality of the situation right now, which is that housing is not affordable for tens of thousands of people across the State. This legislation will bring about a national affordable purchase scheme and, pretty much for the first time ever, a national cost-rental scheme. I will give an example. Some people might not like to hear a reference to "ma…

I thank the Deputies and particularly Deputy Duffy for tabling the amendment. I will address the amendments, but I sometimes find with Deputy Cian O'Callaghan that if I had a Social Democrats party policy document, turned it into legislation and brought it to the House, he would find something wrong with it and have a concern about it because it was me bringing it forward. We have to look at the facts of what I am bringing forward. We are introducing cost rental for the first time and legislating for it. As Deputy …

I will address the amendments but I want to address some of the points that have been raised as well. We have had a detailed debate right the way through. Deputy Matthews, who is the chairperson of the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, clearly outlined the long process the committee has gone through to get to this Stage and I thank all members of that committee. On Deputy Cahill's point, I want to put this on the record of the House because he has been good enough to raise it. Affordability is an…

It is because I am going to tell the House what these amendments will do. In real terms, they will do exactly what Deputies Mattie McGrath and Matthews have said. I will explain this to Deputies by reading the provisions of the Bill. It must be put in this context. Most of my colleagues in the Opposition, including Deputy Ó Broin and others, do not want our State land development agency to build any homes and they do not want it to plan to build any homes, which is remarkable. I would ask Members to look at the spe…

Are they still in public ownership?