Land Development Agency legislation
Deputy Troy complained that the Land Development Agency was being delayed despite repeated scrutiny and appointments of officials. The Tánaiste said the legislation would come forward in the current session and said planning applications were expected soon for some sites.
On the last two Thursdays I raised two separate issues with the Tánaiste and he undertook to have the relevant Ministers refer back to me. That has not happened to date.
Today, I wish to raise the Land Development Agency. It was announced in the budget of two years ago as part of the solution to the housing crisis. Despite pre-legislative scrutiny before the relevant Oireachtas committee no less than four times, we are still waiting for the legislation to be adopted. The appointment of highly paid officials is the only thing that appears to have happened in respect of the Land Development Agency tackling housing. No land has been transferred and no houses have been built. Some eight or ten sites have been identified but the future of those sites is unsure. I refer to Columb Barracks, Mullingar, where 21 community groups have been working from the site for a number of years. The barracks was closed by the Government some years ago. When will those community groups have certainty about the future of that site? When can we expect the legislation on the Land Development Agency debated in the House and when can we expect to see houses built as a result of establishing this agency? The Government has over-promised for the last two years in this regard.
