Can the Land Development Agency finally solve Ireland’s housing crisis?

The government is in a hurry to have the LDA established before the Dáil goes on holidays, but one Green Party TD says it would be worth losing the party whip to make his point about what the agency should be doing. And Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats want social and affordable housing to form ‘100 per cent’ of most LDA sites in Dublin

The coalition’s bill to fully establish the Land Development Agency requires that 50 per cent of homes will be set aside for rent or sale as affordable housing and 10 per cent for social housing, which leaves 40 per cent for regular market price housing. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

Amid ongoing pressure over the issue of housing, the government is anxious to establish the Land Development Agency before the Dáil goes on its summer break next month.

The LDA is supposed to fix Ireland’s housing supply crisis by overseeing the use of state lands for the construction of 150,000 homes over the next 20 years.

But there are increasing doubts among many about its ability to achieve its objectives, including councillors and opposition TDs.