Government criticised over new €430,000 'Housing Tsar'

The government has come under fire after announcing a new 'Housing Tsar'.

The position is set to be held by Nama boss Brendan McDonagh, who will be tasked with speeding up housing development - "just one of a number key steps to speed up the delivery of housing" in Minister James Browne's recently announced Housing Activation Office.

Minister Browne added the Housing Activation Office "will do what it says on the tin" and "have the ability to seek out obstacles to growth, the agility to troubleshoot and ensure smoother delivery.'

Initially established for three years, the HOA will also be seconding experts from state agencies like Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, and the National Transport Authority.

McDonagh is reported to be retaining his Nama salary of €430,000, a figure which has drawn much criticism from opposition TDs

"It's more than the Taoiseach's very generous salary," said Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. "It's even more than the president of the United States is paid. It's the starting salary of 11 new nurses, or 11 new gardaí or 13 new special needs assistants," adding that the sum was "a slap in the face for working people who are hit with rip-off bill after rip-off bill and who struggle to make it to the end of the week."

Social Democrat TD Rory Hearne criticised McDonagh's role in Nama, writing that his "overseeing of the fire sale of assets" had "resulted in the eviction of thousands of people into homelessness through its receivers arranging vacant possession for the sale of rental properties. Mr McDonagh was also centrally involved in bringing institutional investors into Ireland, where billions’ worth of homes and land were sold, at discount, to global vulture funds."

Taosieach Micheál Martin said that he understands the concerns surrounding McDonagh's appointment, but that his government's focus is  to "get things moving in respect of some large housing projects."

"It’s all about output, and getting more houses built as fast as we possibly can," he stated. "I understand that concern, but the overarching concern is getting houses built much more quickly."

Brendan McDonagh is the chief executive of Nama, a body set up in 2009 with the intention of solving the banking crisis. Earlier today, amid the fallout of McDonagh's appointment, Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers confirmed that salaries of CEOs in Commercial State Bodies will now be able to be reviewed and increased.