This week several housing experts have raised serious questions about the Government's Land Development Agency and have, in effect, characterised it as a land privatisation agency. The agency will have sweeping powers outside of direct Government control and will have an unmistakably commercial remit akin to that of speculative developers, according to one expert, with building work outsourced. This approach is described by some as very high risk and coming at a premium price. The agency, I understand, is to be outside the remit of the Freedom of Information, FOI, Act and will provide only 10% social housing. Will the Government legislate to ensure that the agency does not sell off public land? Will the Government ensure that the agency is subject to FOI?

I thank the Deputy for his question. It is true that there is a lot of speculation about the land development agency and what it is going to do. It will be the State developer. It will bring forward public land for the development of social and affordable housing. On the first four sites that will get planning permission, approximately 1,200 homes will be delivered, 800 of which will be social and affordable, which is well above the 40% minimum that we have stipulated for social and affordable housing. The legislation will be published in a matter of weeks and will come before the House thereafter. It is priority legislation and, once introduced, we will be able to debate exactly what the agency will look like.

Will it be subject to FOI?

I want to have it established in the first part of next year so that we can then capitalise it and get all of the sites that it has under its remit into development.

What about FOI?

We will get to it in the legislation.