We want level playing pitch for first-time buyers, says housing minister

 Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien TD. Picture: Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie

The Housing Minister says he "wants a level playing pitch for first-time buyers" and he believes planning measures he has brought in will help.

The Irish Examiner on Monday revealed fears that the plan announced by Darragh O'Brien last week may not improve housing supply available to buyers for a number of years as thousands have already been pre-sold to cuckoo funds.

Speaking at an event to mark the 100-year anniversary of the burning of the Custom House, Mr O'Brien said that the measures will work in tandem with the Affordable Housing Bill and Land Development Bill.

"We've got to fix problems — you don't just look at a problem and say it's a problem that you're not going to do anything about. But these measures needed to be taken because we need to get supply up to 33,000 a year and we're off that."

Apartments

Mr O'Brien rejected the notion that the Government's exclusion of apartments from the new rules governing sales to cuckoo funds was a signal that it believes private finance is the only way to deliver those homes.

"The Government view is that we have a constrained market with supply way down on where it should be. But the State is the biggest investor in apartments. The State is building apartments. We would like to make brownfield city centre living more possible. But we need to see delivery, so that we can get people into affordable homes as quickly as possible."

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Earlier, Mr O'Brien was told that the Land Development Agency will "replace county councils" in the development of housing at his appearance at an Oireachtas committee.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett made the warning during an Oireachtas housing committee debate on amendments to the Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill.

Mr Boyd Barrett said the LDA would become the primary driver of home building in local authority areas.

'Time for talking is over'

Mr O'Brien told the meeting that "the time for talking is over" on the delivery of housing, a comment Mr Boyd Barrett called "a masterclass in sophistry".

Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin said his amendments were "about pushing the bill to be what it should be", making the LDA a land management agency rather than a "private company pushing up development costs".

Eoin O Broin, Sinn Féin spokesperson on housing.

Mr O'Brien said this "goes to the heart of the differences" between Sinn Féin and the Government. He said Mr Ó Broin's plan would put back the development of homes.

He said it was "telling that Mr Ó Broin mentions housing developments which he or his party has opposed".

The minister said the bill would ensure the "regeneration of public lands". Making amendments to change the ethos of the LDA would "put us back at square one", he added.

LDA profits

Mr O'Brien said any profits made by the LDA, which will be allowed to take on commercial activities, would be reinvested into the Exchequer and the supply of housing.

He said the LDA will be a commercial semi-state body but would be expected to make a return to the housing minister and will be subject to public spending and procurement rules.

Mr Ó Broin said the LDA would be able to cut bureaucracy or red tape around some projects, but queried that if this were possible for the LDA, why the approval process for local authorities was not reformed instead.

Fine Gael's Emer Higgins said the meeting had been an example of "politics coming before problem-solving" and accused the opposition of "political posturing".

Speaking in the Dáil tonight, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell hit out at Sinn Féin for voting against 1,200 new homes for Donabate in Dublin.