Planning permission has been approved for 26,000 housing units in Dublin, however developers are sitting on them until the price of land and housing increases, according to Labour.

Spokesperson on Local Government Reform, Senator Denis Landy, said the Government should introduce "use it or lose it" legislation in relation to planning.

He also expressed his outright opposition to a section in the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 that proposes to allow developers building housing estates of over 100 units to bypass Local Authorities and go straight to An Bord Pleanála for permission.

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Senator Landy said: "The suggestion that the housing problem can be addressed by giving developers a red carpet route to receiving planning permissions is akin to whistling past the graveyard.

"There is planning permission already granted for 26,000 housing units in Dublin City alone but developers are sitting on them until the price of land and housing increases. This should be the first action of Government to introduce proper 'use it or lose it' legislation with regards to this planning instead of freezing out Local Councillors from the planning process.

"Labour has voted against the section of the Bill but again Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil joined together to force it through, another example of the cosy supply and demand arrangement."

(CD/LM)