Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will avoid confrontation with the Minister of State if she chooses not to interrupt. As she admitted, I am making some reasonable suggestions, which I hope will be taken on board. I look forward to the housing Bill, which has been three years in the making. I hope the Minister of State will consider some of the suggestions that I and other Deputies will make in this debate to ensure the housing crisis is addressed in a meaningful manner.

On apprentice labour models, the dramatic decrease in construction activity has decimated apprenticeship numbers. Skilled labour is vital to the future of the construction industry and a reliable source of employment for young people. Any increase in construction by local authorities and housing associations should be co-ordinated with SOLAS to maximise the training and upskilling elements of apprenticeships. This would benefit the economy and young people who wish to work in the construction sector.

The Minister of State will have noted an analysis published early this week of CAO applications made by young people and many not so young people who have benefited from the welcome lifelong learning initiatives encouraged by previous Governments. The study found an upturn in the number of applications for courses related to construction. The Minister of State has a responsibility in this regard in so far as she is able to encourage housing development and construction. In the event that increased construction activity flows from the Bill to be published in the coming months, I ask the Minister of State to work with SOLAS with a view to maximising the training and upskilling available to apprentices.

I regret that I have been forced to raise my voice in making some of my proposals. I entered this debate in the expectation that the Minister of State has provided Deputies with an opportunity to engage in an honest effort to play a role in addressing the housing crisis. As I stated, I have been informed by a housing officer in my home county that it is no longer possible to deal with the number of representations being made on housing because the time, resources and tools required to adequately deal with the housing waiting list are not available. The position is replicated in many other areas. Colleagues from Dublin, Cork and other cities will agree that spiralling rents have caused the housing crisis to spiral out of control in their areas.

Irrespective of who was or is in government, the fact remains that we have become excessively reliant on the private rented sector and local authorities have become over-dependent on schemes such as the rental accommodation scheme. To echo the words of Professor Morgan Kelly, it is as sure as night follows day that the banks will start to call in loans. This will also mean calling in the properties associated with many of their loans, in which many of those on housing waiting lists are housed.

A concerted effort is required to address the housing crisis. I implore the Minister of State to honour her commitment, which was echoed in recent months by the Minister and Taoiseach, to introduce a housing Bill. The legislation is required in addition to the funds announced yesterday and in the 2014 budget. A whole-of-government approach is needed to address the serious crisis in housing.

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