2. The purposes of this Act are—

(a) to enable urgent measures to be taken to increase the supply of housing in the State and in particular affordable and social housing,

(b) to ensure that public land which is not being utilised or is under-utilised is made available for housing in the State,

(c) to counteract segregation in housing between persons of different social background,

(d) to enable the sustainable development of new and regenerated communities well-served by schools, infrastructure that promotes and facilitates cycling or walking, public transport and public amenities,

(e) to develop and regenerate relevant public land for the purposes of the delivery of housing,

(f) to combat the long-term housing shortage and to increase access to housing in the State,

(g) to address deficiencies in the housing market and to alleviate the shortage of land available for housing in circumstances where that market is experiencing a systemic housing shortage,

(h) to address the demand for housing arising from population growth and demographic change,

(i) to promote best practice in housing development, including best environmental practice, innovative construction methods and climate adaptive housing including in complex development sites,

(j) to correct any imbalance between the supply of housing and demand for it through the use of available relevant public land, not required for other purposes, for the purpose of housing,

(k) to support the consolidation and provision of publicly owned land for development and to expedite the most efficient use of such land,

(l) to assist in the development of a sufficient supply of housing available for rent and purchase in the State at an affordable price,

(m) to increase the supply of housing while maintaining balanced land use,

(n) to facilitate measures designed to achieve socially integrated housing,

(o) to assist local authorities in the performance of their functions relating to housing by enabling provision of services to them by the Agency,

(p) to establish appropriate mechanisms and collaborative structures between public and private bodies to develop relevant public land, land owned by the Agency and land that is privately owned that is identified as suitable for the strategic and timely delivery of housing,

(q) to establish a Land Development Agency to ensure that, in the performance of functions conferred on the Agency—

(i) economies of scale and efficiencies are achieved through a single entity providing services such as the preparation of masterplans and design and project management, and

(ii) opportunities can be taken for efficient development of contiguous tracts of relevant public land,

(r) to enable the Agency to engage in commercial activities consistent with this Act, including by generating funding required to enable it to perform its functions, in order to achieve the purposes specified in this section, and

(s) to achieve the best possible social and economic return, consistent with the purposes of this Act, from the use of relevant public land under and in accordance with this Act.