This article is from page 11 of the 2006-04-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
A Fianna Fáil Councillor has said that a clause in the Planning Act 2000, linked to a collapse in the number of affordable homes built in Clare, “has made a veritable ass of the intention of the original legislation.”
A mere 14 affordable houses have been provided in Clare in the five years since the controversial Part 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, was enacted.
“It makes the whole lot ineffective and inoperable,” said Councillor Tom Prendeville.
The Act originally stipulated that 20 per cent of all housing developments should be made available for affordable housing, or that sites for such housing should be provided by developers of all private housing schemes.
In 2004, the Government amended the act to allow developers make a financial contribution to local authorities in lieu of providing affordable housing, or sites.
The amendment has resulted in €365,840 been paid to the Clare County Council in two years, and as few as 14 houses contributed under the scheme.
From 2001 to 2003 inclusive, no financial, or housing contributions were made to the council under Part 5, with €121,900 contributed in 2004. All of the 14 affordable houses in the county were allocated in 2005, as well as €243,940.
Councillor Prendeville lays the blame for what he describes as the “buy out” clause in the failure of the system with the Government.
“The county council has no option but to accept it,” he added.
Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) said that there should be no opportunity for buy out.
Independent Cllr Martin Lafferty told the adjourned March meeting of the council that people who qualified for social housing could no longer afford houses, even under the scheme.
Describing the situation as a “thundering disgrace” Cllr Martin Conway (FG) blamed the financial institutions for the spiralling cost of houses.
Meanwhile, the councillors agreed with Cllr Bernard Harahan (FF) that the council give due consideration to single fathers when allocating houses in the future.
In response to the motion, a council official said that consideration was given to this category when allocating dwellings.
“In recent allocations the council has commenced accomodating fathers who have either joint custody or approved access to their children,” she added.