Government decides housing policy, Taoiseach says after ‘tsar’ controversy

The Taoiseach has said that Government decides housing policy in response to a top civil servant’s comments about a housing “tsar”.

Controversy has surrounded the role of the chief executive of the Government’s new housing activation office (HAO).

Chief executive of the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) Brendan McDonagh withdrew his name from consideration following criticism of his mooted retention of a salary of 430,000 euros.

Further controversy around the role emerged at a conference last week in relation to the secretary general of the Department of Housing, Graham Doyle.

He is reported by the Irish Times to have said that the Department “never used the word ‘tsar'” in relation to the HAO role and suggesting it was not as simple as giving “enough people a kick in the backside” to make things happen.

Housing Minister James Browne has said he spoke to Mr Doyle, who said he is supportive of the HAO and having a chief executive in charge of it.

Asked about the comments on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that Mr Doyle’s opposition was to the word “tsar”, but “either way, government decides” housing policy.

“The secretary general was very clear in the subsequent statements he made and he was at pains to clarify to colleagues in government that he was absolutely supportive of the Housing Activation Office, and he just didn’t like the word ‘tsar’,” Mr Martin said.

“That’s the up-to-date clarification on it.

“Either way, government decides. The elected representatives of the people decide, there’s a constitution there, there’s a government duly appointed by the Oireachtas and I’m very clear that if government decides upon something and its in the programme for government, it happens.

Asked if he was confident the government would find a candidate for the role, he said “yes”.

Mr Martin made the comments after turning the sod on a new 16 million euro headquarters at CPAC Modular located in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.

The new facility is expected to triple CPAC Modular’s construction capacity.

Mr Martin said that modern methods of construction will play an “increasingly important role” in the future of house building in Ireland, in particular in reaching the target of 50,000 new-builds a year.