Danny Healy-Rae: Local authorities must build houses, rejects plan
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the housing situation and criticised a new private-led housing programme, saying he voted for Daryl O'Brien's bill but remains unconvinced. He argued the only reliable way to build homes is for the state to fund local authorities to buy sites and build houses directly.
Main position
Danny Healy-Rae said he has serious concerns about the new programme and does not believe the proposed 20% and 10% measures will deliver housing. He praised Daryl O'Brien for bringing a bill and confirmed he voted for it, but emphasised that relying on private developers will not solve the crisis.
Concerns about developer-led approach
He warned that developers will not be incentivised to sell cheaper homes to local authorities when site values and sale prices remain high, saying it is hard to see how the scheme will work in practice. He argued that the state should instead give money to local authorities to buy sites and build houses "full stop."
Rents, landlords and taxation
He outlined rising rents and the pressure on renters, noting his view that the state effectively takes a large share of rental income - saying the state gets 51% out of the rent. He called on the minister to consider reducing tax on rental income so landlords can pass on savings to tenants.
Planning permissions and local impact
He raised planning permission refusals in his county and warned that site assessment processes appear intent on refusing permissions, affecting local building activity. He highlighted long waiting lists in Killarney of 10 to 12 years and said rents are expensive in Killarney, Khmer and Dingle.
Barriers for builders and levies
He said levies and upfront charges before building starts are denying small and even larger builders the opportunity to construct homes. He repeated his view that if the government is serious it must invest directly in building through local authorities rather than depend mainly on private house builders and larger developers.
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I'm very concerned about the housing situation and as more as the days go on since Daryl O'Brien put his bill through the Dáil and I voted for that. I've serious concerns about this new program at all because I think there's only one way to build houses and to get houses built is to give the money to the local authorities. buy the sites and build the houses full stop. This thing of 20% and 10% I don't think that's ever going to materialise because if a developer is selling one side of his site the house in it for 600,000 how is he going to get people to buy those houses if the local authority is buying them for 250 or whatever? I can't see that working. and rents are going up and they're still going up and the landlords you see and I'm not taking their side but it is affecting the renters but also everyone must recognise including you minister and I've said here several times before inside here the state are getting 51% out of the rent. So if the rent is 800,000 euros the landlord is getting half of that. Surely with all this talk and all the money he has for housing and all what he wants to do about housing surely he could reduce the tax on the rent and that would help and ensure that the landlord reduces similarly to the person that's renting. Carbon tax and all the other taxes are putting people and parents under all kinds of permission and are under pressure and they're feeling every penny that they have to pay out. Planning permission is a serious problem now in our county. There are things after happening in recent days and planning permissions being refused and it looks to be the intention of the site assessment to refuse every planning permission that will come in to the local authority. There are people on the way to the local authority. There are people on the waiting list for 10 to 12 years in Killarney and the rents are expensive and they're expensive in Khmer and Dingle and the more you look at Darrow O'Brien's bill and I'm grateful to him because any man that tries anything I appreciate that and that's why I voted for it. They voted for it. But so much is depending on private house builders and bigger developers to build these houses. That's not if the government is serious about it they must put money into themselves. That and levies before any block is put into the ground is denying small builders and even big builders the opportunity of building houses. That's an easy question. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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