I have challenged the Housing for All Policy. It is not living up to its promises.

Firstly, the Affordable Purchase Scheme is not available in Galway or throughout the country and people are frustrated at the pace that it is being rolled out.

“I am also convinced that the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is not fit for purpose. Many landlords are refusing to enter in HAP agreement as they are then left carrying the can if the tenant does not pay their contribution to the rent.

I have many people contacting me saying they cannot get a house to rent through HAP as landlords are not willing to take the risk in the event of non-payment”.

The Local Authority Home Loan is a renamed scheme for the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme with some small adjustments. There is nothing new here except a name change.

“The Government are placing great emphasis on innovative construction when the fact of the matter is that the greatest delay in delivery housing is the process of seeking planning, provision of finance and the long arduous procurement process. This whole process can take 5 years.

A procurement industry has grown out of the rules, regulations and the multitude of gateway approvals required prior to a housing scheme going to tender, it has become a consultancy gravy train and a nightmare for local authorities in trying to deliver housing and infrastructure”

Construction on site is the easiest part of the process and if the projects go to tender, they will be built without any delay. Both Civil Engineering and General Building Contractors have proven this time and time again.

Government needs to tackle head-on the planning mess and the procurement ritual which are both slowing down the supply of housing and adding enormously to the end cost of housing.

The housing supply is now a crisis and emergency actions are required to cut out the costly bureaucratic nonsense which has enslaved the construction of housing and infrastructure in general”.