Developer Sean Dunne has rejected claims that Irish builders have tried to renege on the provision of social and affordable housing, saying the reputation they have earned in the area is unwarranted.
Speaking yesterday in South Africa where is working as a volunteer with the Niall Mellon building blitz, he said Irish developers had found the Government's regulations on social housing "difficult to live with".
"But I don't think anybody tried to duck out of it. Anyone that tried to duck out of it was rectified by the planning authority. Everybody that I know lives with it and lives with it happily today."
In a rare interview with journalists, the Co Carlow-born businessman said: "Unfairly, they might have bad reputations. But I think when you look at what the Irish builders and the Irish developers have done for Ireland and what they are doing out here it's a reflection."
Mr Dunne, who is taking part in the building blitz programme for the second year running, said he got "personal satisfaction" from volunteering.
"I think it's important that we don't become a hostage to wealth creation. I have achieved what I want to achieve in business, and I like just helping other people."
He declined to comment on recent planning controversies in Dublin, including the planned development of his Ballsbridge Jurys site. Asked how he found the time to volunteer, he said: "I adopt the old adage: if you are a busy man you can do everything."
On the subject of development in South Africa, Mr Dunne said: "To make the private developers contribute 20 per cent social and affordable like back home is a good idea."
Such a quota was mooted by Mr Mellon, who is also urging the South African government to introduce controls "to avoid the situation that we had [in Ireland] - where developers dodged the regulations for 5-6 years".
Mr Mellon said the 20 per cent social housing quota would "not be a popular development. But if property developers want to make a contribution to alleviating the housing crisis in this country [South Africa] it should be done".
