Government’s ‘Housing Activation Office’ proposal all over the place – Eoin Ó Broin TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that the Government’s proposal for a new Housing Activation Office is all over place.  The Dublin Mid West TD was responding to today’s Cabinet announcement on the creation of a new Housing Activation Office.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“Today Minister for Housing James Browne announced the creation of a new Housing Activation Office.  The announcement added further confusion in relation to the new office and the controversial secondment of Brendan McDonagh from the NTMA, when his tenure at NAMA comes to an end.

“Listening to Minister Browne today, it is clear that government is all over the place in relation to this new Housing Activation Office.  They have released a short terms of reference, but haven’t actually set out who is on it, how much they will be paid, and crucially how it will achieve its functions.

“The Housing Commission recommended a Housing Delivery Oversight Executive with emergency powers underpinned by legislation to increase and accelerate much needed housing supply.  

“Government created a series of committees including a Housing Delivery Group, to be chaired by the Minister for Housing; a Housing Activation Industry Group, also chaired by the Housing Minister; and an Infrastructure Taskforce to advise a new Infrastructure Division in the Department of Public Expenditure.  These three bodies will interact with the new Housing Activation Office.

“While Government is claiming that the head of the new office has not yet been agreed, it is understood to be current NAMA chief executive Brendan McDonagh, who is reported to be keeping his substantial €430,000 salary.  

“When confirmed, this salary will cause real anger amongst working people who are struggling to pay bills is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.  They will rightly be asking why such a highly paid position is required when we already have three highly paid Secretary Generals, three highly paid Ministers, and a Taoiseach.  The fact that this housing czar will be paid double what each of these other individuals are paid, is hard to justify.

“More importantly, it is beyond me how the Government thinks these new arrangements will streamline anything.  

“The office of the housing czar is becoming increasingly bizarre and labyrinthine.  It is clear the Government hasn’t actually worked out what the office is, who will be on it, what it will do and how it will relate to the already overly complex and bureaucratic structures for the delivery of infrastructure and housing.

“This smacks of utter desperation on the part of Government. They are clearly all over the place in relation to this proposal.  Focus should be on cutting red tape and bureaucracy imposed on Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies, and increasing funding and targets to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes.

“They also need to staff our planning authorities, provide SME builder-developers with more competitive finance and site servicing, and ensure that they have access to serviced land to build more good quality homes for working people to buy at more moderated prices.

“We don’t need a housing czar and a bizarre network of new committees within the civil service.  We need a radical reset of housing policy – as set out in Sinn Féin’s alternative housing plan, ‘A Home of Your Own’.”