Danny Healy-Rae on soaring rents, social housing and planning woes
Danny Healy-Rae spoke on 19 Oct 2021 about rising rents, a shortage of social housing, planning refusals and escalating building costs. He called for immediate funding for social housing in Kerry, faster planning decisions for people building their own homes, and relief on levies and material prices.
Conflict of interest disclosure
He thanked Sinn Fein for the opportunity to raise the issue and declared a potential conflict of interest, noting that Michael is in the business and he is his brother.
Rents and local impact
He said rents have risen steeply and many people in places such as Killarney, Dingland and Kinmear are struggling to meet current charges and are in a desperate way.
Call for more social housing funding
He urged the Minister to give money to Kerry to build more social housing, saying there is land and builders available and that social housing is the answer rather than continuing with schemes and reports.
Planning system grievances and examples
He criticised the planning process for people trying to build their own homes, recounting a young woman whose approved planning was later dismissed by Board Penale after objections. He argued that decisions like this leave young couples waiting many months and effectively deny them the chance to put a roof over their heads.
Rural planning success rate cited
He claimed Board Penale refuses 90% of rural planning applications that come before them and said that record must be tackled because it is unfair to rural applicants.
Rising building costs and levies
He highlighted surging material costs and levies, urging the Minister to recognise and address them. He gave timber as an example, saying a sticky timber that cost 20 euros is now 28 euros, and called for measures to ease those pressures.
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I want to thank Sinn Fein for giving us the opportunity again this evening to talk about rents and I want to declare that someone or people may say they have a conflict of interest because Michael is in that business and I am his brother. So I suppose I concord with what members have said already in relation to the cost of rents, they have gone very steep and people can't meet the amount that has been charged with them now they are in a desperate way, especially in Killarney, Dingland, Kinmear and indeed other places around the county. We need to build more social housing, Minister and whatever about the schemes and the reports, we have enough of them to know, give us the money in Kerry to build more social housing and that is the answer to it. We have the land, we have the builders to build them, so give us more money and forget about what happened, these schemes. I look forward to getting rid of those schemes and building social housing houses for people. And then we must try to help people that are trying to build their own houses and are having severe difficulty getting planning. A lovely young girl got planning and some lousy being objected and appealed to Board Penale and even though everything was perfect, Board Penale still dismissed her planning and she finished up. I will not get it, indeed Board Penale refused 90% of all rural plannings that come before them. That is some record, Minister, and it must be tackled because it is not fair. Then we have, I see a case the other day where someone else objected and now the poor young couple, what they have to do now, they have to wait till the months of December and January before they can reopen the halls. So to make sure that they won't get planning after a year and a half, to think that that has happened in our county and a young couple that are trying to put the roof over their own heads are being denied planning in this way. And we must also seek to do something about the levies that are being charged and the regulations that are being put on them because the cost of materialism has gone out of all order and he must try to do something about that as well and recognise it. Do not try to blot it out or whatever because it is happening. A sticky timber that was 20 euros for a year, a 6.3 is now 28 euros, Minister. Think of that. Think of that.
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