I raise the issue of affordable housing for purchase and rent. When will legislation on affordable housing be published? We were promised that it would be published by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage this autumn. Figures published by the Department show that the direct building of housing by local authorities can come in at 50% of the cost of acquiring them from private developers. Given that fact, and the decision by Dublin city councillors this week not to sell the lands on the Oscar Traynor Road to a private developer, will the Government engage with Dublin City Council to bring forward affordable housing on the Oscar Traynor lands for purchase and rent, using finance from the European Investment Bank and the serviced sites fund?

Is the Taoiseach aware that the National Economic and Social Council reported this week that the Land Development Agency, LDA, can be a game changer in allowing the State to acquire and develop a mixed range of housing following a master plan? Does he agree with me regarding the decision of Dublin City Council to reject just such a development following a master plan? It would have provided 30% social housing, 25% cost rental housing, 20% affordable housing and 25% private housing, which is the sort of the development we want. Is it not a serious threat to that vision to have local authorities, driven by Sinn Féin-controlled authorities, rejecting integrated housing of this type? Furthermore, this represents a threat to the LDA because there is a belief that public land should be solely for one type of housing.

We would-----

If the LDA is to transform the land market, it must provide for all types of housing.

Public housing.

Do not be afraid to say it.

Deputies, please.

The legislation on affordable housing is making progress. I assure Deputy Cian O'Callaghan that there is much work under way in that regard. On the precise timeline, I hope to be in a position to publish that Bill towards the end of the year. Obviously, there are issues with progressing but it is going in the right direction. We had a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee on housing this week and very good progress was reported on that matter. Likewise, I assure Deputy Bruton that I have insisted on taking a keen interest in the Bill on the LDA in order to get it through. It has been around for a while and there are many complexities surrounding it. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is working very proactively on it with the Attorney General.

Why? The Deputy is correct that it has the potential to be a significant catalyst in the development of housing. Generally, because of Covid-19, we will probably get 17,000 or 18,000 houses completed this year.

Thank you Taoiseach. Time is up.

Of that number, 9,000 will be public housing. Next year, there will be up to 12,500 social houses out of a potential 25,000.

Thank you Taoiseach. Time is up.

We have a long way to go. We need to get master plans and developments off the ground to get the houses built.

Thank you Taoiseach. I call Deputy Bríd Smith.