Martin Daly urges urgent delivery on housing plan
Martin Daly welcomed the new housing plan and urged urgent delivery, calling the housing crisis a societal blight that leaves young people unable to buy homes. He criticised slow infrastructure delivery and called on the Minister and government to press local authorities to deliver social and affordable housing.
Martin Daly set out his support for the plan while stressing that policy must move from planning to delivery. He described home ownership as part of the social contract and warned that many young people now see it as an unattainable dream, calling the current situation a societal blight.
He pointed to international and EU trends - including a 60% rise in house prices in the EU over the last ten years and similar increases in the United States since 2019 - and noted that one in ten people in the EU cannot pay mortgage or rent on time. He singled out wastewater and electricity infrastructure as critical bottlenecks, saying delivery times are twice the EU average and that a seven to ten year wait for a wastewater treatment plant is unacceptable.
Mr Daly welcomed the decision to allow developer-led wastewater treatment plants, particularly for small towns and villages in Roscommon and East Galway, and named Deputies Albert Dolan and Ryan O'Mara in that context. He gave the local example of Ballygar in County Galway, where he said a wastewater treatment plant will start next year after 15 years without new building activity.
He urged the Minister and government to pressure local authorities to deliver social and affordable housing and to rezone or de-zone land where appropriate. He cited Roscommon town as an example where 48 houses zoned in the early 2000s lost zoning after the crash despite having electricity and wastewater, and warned that even relatively privileged young people in their twenties are unable to secure a one-bedroom apartment. He concluded by calling the situation a generational crisis that must be faced head down.
Overview of the speech
Martin Daly set out his support for the plan while stressing that policy must move from planning to delivery. He described home ownership as part of the social contract and warned that many young people now see it as an unattainable dream, calling the current situation a societal blight.
Infrastructure delays and statistics
He pointed to international and EU trends - including a 60% rise in house prices in the EU over the last ten years and similar increases in the United States since 2019 - and noted that one in ten people in the EU cannot pay mortgage or rent on time. He singled out wastewater and electricity infrastructure as critical bottlenecks, saying delivery times are twice the EU average and that a seven to ten year wait for a wastewater treatment plant is unacceptable.
Local delivery and developer-led plants
Mr Daly welcomed the decision to allow developer-led wastewater treatment plants, particularly for small towns and villages in Roscommon and East Galway, and named Deputies Albert Dolan and Ryan O'Mara in that context. He gave the local example of Ballygar in County Galway, where he said a wastewater treatment plant will start next year after 15 years without new building activity.
Rezoning, social housing and generational impact
He urged the Minister and government to pressure local authorities to deliver social and affordable housing and to rezone or de-zone land where appropriate. He cited Roscommon town as an example where 48 houses zoned in the early 2000s lost zoning after the crash despite having electricity and wastewater, and warned that even relatively privileged young people in their twenties are unable to secure a one-bedroom apartment. He concluded by calling the situation a generational crisis that must be faced head down.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy urges fix to MUD Act delay, regulate OMCs
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice criticises state agencies over planning delays
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice calls for emergency laws to deliver housing
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett Challenges Taoiseach on Israel, Gaza and Park Name
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice on CAP cuts, land use and farmers' rights
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy Challenges New Defence Cooperation with Britain
Transcript
I just want to welcome the plan. The housing crisis is a blight, a societal blight. Owning an own home was part of the social contract in Ireland. For many young people that just remains a dream. It is an international problem, housing supply and affordability in the UK, Australia, Canada and also in the European Union. We have our first housing commissioner ever appointed because of the issues there. One in ten people in the European Union cannot afford to pay their mortgage or rent in time. The price of houses in the European Union has gone up by 60% in the last ten years, in the United States by 60% since 2019. But we have to solve our own problems and no one can be satisfied with our homelessness figures and the fact that our young people cannot get skin in the game and root in our own country. This document moves us from planning to delivery. Delivery has been too slow, held up by planning, consistent planning and resistant planning. Wastewater and electricity infrastructure and too long to deliver that infrastructure, twice as long as the European Union average. We cannot pretend that a seven to ten year wait to produce a wastewater treatment plant is acceptable. I do welcome the fact that we will have developer led wastewater treatment plants, especially in the small towns and villages around Roscommon and East Galway as Deputy Albert Dolan has pointed out and Deputy Ryan O'Mara has pointed out. I think that is a game changer because it will allow communities to grow. I am delighted that in my own town of Ballygar in County Galway our wastewater treatment plant will start next year. But it has been 15 years since one block has been laid on a block in our own town and it is just simply not good enough. I welcome the new planning framework but I really hope that the Minister and the government will put pressure on our local authorities to deliver social housing, affordable housing and rezone, de-zone land. We have a situation in Roscommon town where there are 48 houses which were zoned in the early noughties, fell out after the economic crash and it has been made, they have all the facilities, electricity, wastewater treatment and there is a difficulty getting it re-zoned again. That is simply not good enough in the midst of a housing price. And I will finally say, because I do not want to go over time, I have four children in their twenties, they are relatively privileged, well educated, have good jobs and they cannot get to the front door of, even with a leg up, of a one bedroom apartment. If they cannot get to it, what rest for the rest of the young people in our community? This is a generational crisis and we must face it head down. Thank you very much.