Critical infrastructure and the allocation of social housing needs to be seriously addressed by government legislation. The putting in place of critical infrastructure for badly needed projects in Ireland and the processes involved in ensuring such projects become a reality needs to be radically overhauled and the whole timeframe needs to be dramatically speeded up and transformed.
The current process which is in place is obsolete and outdated. I am not at all denying people their rights to object, but the arriving at a decision in relation to projects being successful or not has got to be streamlined and speeded up. From initiation to when critical projects go to construction is far too long and costs can have increased dramatically. This is something the taxpayer can no longer endure and it warrants a change in legislation to have it become a reality. There is an onus on all Oireachtas members to demand and support changes to the system and the way in which we do our business in providing crucial projects to our areas.
With the economic downturn and a crumbling economy, it is now more important than ever that we put in place a short process of time in advancing such schemes through from initiation to actually going to tender.
Ireland needs to look to some of the big players in Europe as regards why they are so far ahead in relation to road projects, rail networks and indeed waste management facilities. We need to become more self-sufficient in dealing with our own problems.
The other issue which warrants revised legislation is the allocation and awarding of social housing to the various areas and how the numbers for each area are arrived at. This needs ministerial intervention and overhauling. Particular areas of Ireland receive far more than their fair share of houses while other parts play no role whatsoever in social inclusion. Too much power currently rests with executive members of local authorities when it comes to the whole decision-making process. It is my firm belief that elected members, in addition to members of An Garda Siochana, community representatives and representatives from ethnic communities, all be included in this decision-making process.
The allocation of units should be awarded on a per capita basis which would be fair and equal and not on the system that currently exists of the same areas receiving more on a constant basis. This particular area needs urgent attention and swift action. It is years of neglect of this issue that has got us to where we are today and has caused many areas in our towns and cities to become ghettos and no-go areas.
National policy prides itself on social inclusion but this all becomes lost in transit at local level. The term “balanced regional development” is something which is totally lost in the awarding and selecting of areas for the development and provision of social housing. If the balance was got right at local level the tone and morale of these areas would dramatically improve and until this whole problem is seriously addressed, well, I am afraid the whole situation is going to disimprove even further.
