Sharon Keogan urges councils to build, criticises housing plan
Sharon Keogan addressed the government's housing action plan for 2025 to 2030, welcoming planning reform, statutory guidelines and a promise to tackle judicial review delays but saying the plan does not go far enough. She criticised bureaucracy, local councillors' decisions in Meath, and called for stronger powers for local authorities and targeted incentives such as a temporary capital gains tax amnesty.
Assessment of the housing action plan
The speaker praised elements of the housing action plan for 2025 to 2030 including planning reform, statutory guidelines and measures to address judicial review delays, describing them as a step in the right direction. She nevertheless argued the plan falls short because it adds agencies and taskforces rather than delivering homes faster.
Local decisions in Meath
The speaker cited a recent opportunity in County Meath where county councillors from Fianna Fáil, Fianna Gael and Sinn Féin declined to revisit de-zoned, serviced sites from the 2019 plan. She warned that as a result there will be no houses built in her town and many other towns across Meath over the coming years.
Critique of new agencies and bureaucracy
The speaker warned against a "ballooning of crangles, housing activation office, six new task forces and agencies" and said billions poured into a complex web of bodies will not speed delivery. She urged the government to exercise executive functions and to avoid outsourcing responsibilities to a quango complex.
Policy proposals and incentives
The speaker proposed concrete incentives to unlock homes, including a temporary amnesty on capital gains tax for house owners who sell to families rather than purchase funds. She argued for real powers for councils to build on service sites rather than merely advising on zoning, and recommended bringing local authorities and senior planners together to prioritise building.
Concerns about RAS scheme and call to cut red tape
The speaker highlighted inequities in the RAS scheme, saying tenants lose €11,500 compared to council tenants when they try to buy their home. She concluded by urging the government to cut regulatory tape, reduce quango sprawl and offer incentives that put homes onto the market to deliver communities and housing.
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Thank you, and you're very welcome in here this afternoon, Ambassador, and indeed the contribution that the Latvians have made to our economy and our country over the last number of years, about 25,000 people here, and they make a marvellous contribution to our country. So, look, we all agree that desperate times call for decisive measures. The government's new housing action plan for 2025 to 2030 has many welcome elements, planning reform, statutory guidelines, and a promise to tackle judicial reviews delays. These are a step in the right direction, and I commend them for the ambition. But I believe this plan can go further. We still have a system where a single objector can hold up thousands of homes. And if I were the Minister, I would not be hiding behind layers of bureaucracy. And I know he's given an instruction to the county councillors to get out and build houses. And I would bring every local authority and senior planner into one room and tell them, go out, build houses on service sites. And we had that opportunity last week in Meath. And unfortunately, county councillors from Fianna Fáil, Fianna Gael, and Sinn Féin decided not to look at the land that was de-zoned, that was service sites in the 2019 plan. And that is a shame, because there will be no houses built in my town. There will be no houses built in many towns around County Meath over the next number of years. So I think the government needs to start talking to their own councillors on the ground. And indeed, talking about rates, Meath County councillors' rates are going up next week as well by 10%. So here we are calling on the government to do one thing, and their councillors are doing something else on the ground. So what we see in this plan is a ballooning of crangles, housing activation office, six new task forces and agencies, and billions poured into a complex web of bodies. We already have 500 housing agencies and 31 local authorities. Adding layers will not build homes faster. Governments should exercise its executive functions, not outsource responsibilities to a quango complex. And where are all the real incentives? I have said before, declare a temporary amnesty on capital gains tax for house owners selling to families, not purchase funds. Remove the stick, offer a carrot. That would unlock thousands of homes overnight. Why is that not in the plan? And to reiterate, I still believe that the way forward is to give real powers to councils to build and not merely advise on zoning. Finally, let's fix inequities like the RAS scheme. I still believe that the way forward is to give real powers to councils to build and not merely advise on zoning. Finally, let's fix inequities like the RAS scheme, where tenants lose 11,500 compared to council tenants and when they try to buy their home. So, colleagues, let's cut the reg tape, reduce the quango sprawl and give people the incentives they need to put homes onto the market. And that's how we deliver homes and build communities. Thank you.
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