Richard Boyd Barrett Warns Public Will Overpay for 'Affordable' Homes
Richard Boyd Barrett addressed the housing crisis in a parliamentary speech, urging debate and action and noting a grassroots housing demonstration planned for the 5th of December. He questioned the cost to the public of social housing buybacks from private developers and cited guideline figures of €4,000, €5,000 and €700,000 per unit.
Demonstration and priorities
Grassroots housing activists have organised a housing demonstration for the 5th of December, Barrett said, urging the House to debate solutions rather than attend the protest. He listed welfare of children, economic evictions and lack of public housing among the reasons for the protest.
Concerns over buyback costs
Barrett raised concerns about the government and some opposition parties disposing of public land to private developers to deliver social and affordable housing. He asked how much the social housing element will cost the public when units are bought back, citing departmental guideline figures of €4,000, €5,000 and €700,000 for social housing units.
O'Devony Gardens controversy
Barrett described the O'Devony Gardens site as vitally important to Dublin residents and recounted that a Sinn Féin-led council majority agreed a proposal two years ago that went out to tender and now has a contractor. He said councillors changed their minds at the eleventh hour and that a late statement from the Dublin Agreement aimed to push through a deal that did not exist, but that the original proposal has thankfully proceeded and the site will be developed.
Use of public land and funding
He stated it is Government policy that public land should be used as a public good with mixed housing on public sites - social, affordable and private - and noted as much as €100 million will go into the site. Barrett emphasised the need for an agreed breakdown of housing types on public sites.
Critique of existing housing policy
Barrett criticised Fianna Fáil for lacking housing policies, accusing them of supporting Rebuilding Ireland unchanged for three years and failing to produce a promised housing plan. He noted that the Affordable Houses will sell the majority at €300,000, saying that a household earning €55,000 together could afford to buy such a home.
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As I informed the business committee the other day, grassroots housing activists are planning a housing demonstration on the 5th of December and they have indeed requested that this house on that day, rather than TDs attend that demonstration, would debate solutions to the housing crisis, something that I hope will happen. There are many reasons why they will be protesting that day, the welfare of children, economic evictions, the lack of public housing. One question I really have to ask in light of the O'Devony Gardens controversy is, does the minister know, given the government's determination and some of the opposition parties' determination to dispose of public land to private developers to provide social and affordable housing, can the minister tell us how much the social housing element of those developments are going to cost us, when we buy them back, when we buy them back off the private developers whom we gave the land to, because the guidelines for the acquisition of dwellings from your department suggest shocking upper limit figures of €4,000, €5,000 and €700,000 for units, for social housing units. Are these the prices that the public will pay for housing from private developers on land we gave to those private developers? The O'Devony Garden side is an incredibly important one for the people of Dublin. Two years ago a Sinn Féin led majority on the council agreed a proposal for O'Devony and over the past two years that has been out to tender. We now have a contractor. At the 11th hour councillors changed their mind about this huge project at risk. At the very final hour the Dublin agreement led by Fianna Fáil put out a statement about an agreement that didn't exist to try and get the deal through. The O'Devony Garden side is an O'Devony Garden side is an O'Devony Garden side is an incredibly important one for the people of Dublin. But thankfully the original proposal has gone through and the site will be developed. agreed a proposal for O'Devony, and over the past two years, that's been out to tender. We now have a contractor. At the eleventh hour, councillors changed their mind about this huge project at risk. At the very final hour, the Dublin Agreement, led by Fianna Fáil, put out a statement about an agreement that didn't exist to try and get the deal through. Thankfully, the original proposal has gone through, and the site will be developed. It's our policy in the Government that it's a public good to use public land for all of the public, and that means mixed housing on public sites, social, affordable and private. We have the agreed breakdown, and as much as €100 million will go into this site. There are no policies from Fianna Fáil, and that's why the Leader is heckling me while I'm trying to answer. They have no solutions for housing. They have been supporting Rebuilding Ireland for the past three years. They have promised their own housing plan for the past three years and haven't produced one, and they haven't changed one element of Rebuilding Ireland. The Affordable Houses will sell the majority of them at €300,000 to members of the public. So if you are a teacher or a guard, earning €55,000 together, you'll be able to afford to buy that home. Thank you.
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