In the sphere of policies and strategies that the Government has announced today and possibly will over the term of the Government, I think this is one of the most important if not the most important. Together with the announcement today of how we are going to accelerate infrastructural development over the coming years also, the combination of these really will determine, I believe, how this Government will fare. However, that is not the most important thing. It will determine the well-being and welfare of our citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, into the future. I can concur with much of what has been said. I even concur with my colleague from Galway-Roscommon, Deputy Fitzmaurice, that the devil will be in the detail and the detail is important. We have a lovely plan with significant figures in it. We have strategies laid out in it but we need to see how these strategies will be implemented on a minute level. One of these I refer to specifically is the affordable housing programme. In my time in the local authority, going back some years, there was a very clear and obvious way that the affordable housing programme worked. There was a clear and obvious way that people could access the affordable housing programme. People went on an affordable housing list. As the local authority developed a suite of affordable houses in conjunction with social houses, they were sold to those people on the list. That is not as clear to me any more. I recognise that we have many options in terms of how we aim to deliver affordable housing. The ambition is clear with over 300,000 new, affordable homes by 2030. We have a starter homes programme. We reckon there are 15,000 supports a year between first home, help to buy, starter home purchase and the vacant property grant. I would like to see the role of the local authorities clearly outlined in developing affordable houses and selling them to people in their local electoral areas. Is maith an rud é chomh maith go bhfuil Údarás na Gaeltachta luaite sa phlean seo. Chuala mé daoine ag rá níos luaithe nach raibh an t-údarás luaite sa phlean. Tá sé. Tá siad ann. Tá sé ráite sa phlean go mbeidh ról ag an údarás chun oibriú leis an Roinn tithíochta agus Roinn na Gaeltachta chun tithíocht a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Is mór an rud é sin agus is maith an rud é. One of the things we have already done that is particularly welcome is we have reduced the funding of social housing and how local authorities obtain that funding from a four-step process to a single-step process. That should be more seamless and should get rid of extreme bureaucracy and make it easier and quicker for local authorities to develop housing. One measure in this plan that is really positive, which I have not heard many speak of is, we will reward local authorities. Local authorities that are ambitious and will develop more housing will be rewarded with additional funding for social development, be that sporting or community facilities. That is great. Many members of local authorities talk to me about the lack of funding for those facilities. Here is their option. If the local authority housing section gets moving building social and affordable housing, it will be rewarded with additional moneys for social amenity facilities. I welcome that. I have gone over my time slightly.
Sentiment score: 0.16