Sir, - I refer to your Editorial of November 20th. If the matter of social and affordable housing could be solved as simply as by introducing a straight 20 per cent requirement on all new residential developments, that could have been implemented 18 months ago. However, it is not that simple.
My concern in Part 5 of the Planning and Development Bill has always been to ensure that anything contained in the Bill is constitutional. An across-the-board confiscation of 20 per cent of anyone's property would not meet the constitutional principles of "fairness, equality and proportionality".
The best way to ensure that the aim of social and affordable housing is achieved is to ensure the speedy passage of the Government Bill currently before the Seanad. - Yours, etc.
Noel Dempsey TD, Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Dail Eireann, Dublin 2.