PBP says LDA Bill is a ‘vehicle for privatisation’ of social housing

People Before Profit has said that the Land Development Agency (LDA) Bill – which would allow the LDA obtain land from local authorities without a council vote – “is a vehicle for the privatisation of public housing and that it is another NAMA scandal waiting to happen.”

In a statement, the party said that “the bill would be, effectively, the final nail in the coffin of council housing because of the injection of private finance into its delivery and it would give the minister (of housing) extraordinary powers to decide on the tenure mix of a development.”

Richard Boyd Barrett TD said: “This bill is a shocking attempt by the government to totally abandon the idea of council housing and it is another NAMA scandal waiting to happen.

“It is a blatant vehicle for the privatisation of public land, and it will be the final nail in the coffin of genuine social housing.

“With this Bill affordability will go out the window because of the injection of private money.

“Under the guise of delivering affordable housing, this bill is, in fact, a Trojan horse for the pillaging of the public land bank.

“There is also a massive democratic deficit in the Bill in that it removes the ability of councillors, elected by the people, to have a say on what land is sent to the LDA or the amount of social and affordable housing that is delivered on a site and allows the Minister to dictate the tenure mix on a development.

“We will be opposing this Bill vigorously in tomorrow’s debate.”