Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD will today introduce the Planning and Development (Amendment) (20 Per Cent Provision of Social and Affordable Housing) (Amendment) Bill 2021. 

Rising house prices further emphasise the need for the ridiculous Part V affordable housing exemption for developers to be scrapped.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The CSO published its Residential Property Price Index (RPPI) for July 2021 yesterday. The data showed that on average property prices across the state have risen by 8.6% annually. 

“In Dublin, residential property prices increased by 8.1%, while the border region saw an increase of a staggering 16.2%.

“To put this in perspective the CSO data shows that across the state property prices have increased by 99% from their low post crash in early 2013. Fuelling these rises are a lack of affordable housing supply.

“Therefore, I cannot understand why the Minister for Housing is exempting big landowners, like Hines, Cairn and Jonny Ronan Group, with thousands of homes in their pipelines on sites like Poolbeg and Clonburris, from the Part V 20% social and affordable provision.

“There is no Constitutional requirement for this exemption. So, why did the Minister feel this exemption was required? Is he simply doing what Fianna Fáil does best and capitulating to lobbying from developers?

“I don’t know how many more agencies and experts need to tell this government that it needs to substantially increase public investment in the delivery of social and affordable homes. 

“This is the only way to ensure that thousands of potential homebuyers and renters have an affordable roof over their heads.

“My bill today is simple. It removes the Part V affordable housing exemption for developers. We cannot afford to wait until 2026 for the Minister’s half-hearted changes to take effect and we cannot let potentially thousands of affordable homes that could be provided over the next few years slip through the net.”