Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I join the Deputy in expressing my condolences to the family of Aidan Moffitt, a man I would have met on occasion through his involvement in Fine Gael, and the family of Michael Snee. I particularly thank the Garda for the work it has done in bringing this prosecution successfully through the courts. I also note the bravery of the man who was injured in stepping forward, testifying and giving his witness testimony to the Garda. I extend my admiration to him and my thanks to the Garda in particular.

The housing budget for next year is the biggest housing budget ever. That was confirmed on budget day. That €5.1 billion will allow us to break all records in terms of public housing next year, including social housing, cost-rental and publicly funded affordable housing. That is much needed. We also extended the help to buy scheme to the end of 2025. That helps so many people to get their deposit to be able to be in the market to buy a home. They would not otherwise be able to buy a home and in many cases would spend many more years trying to raise a deposit were it not for that measure. We extended the tax credit for renters to €750 for an individual and €1,500 for a couple renting, which is roughly a month's rent on average in the State. There is funding as well for the tenant in situ scheme. This is really important for renters. We have about 3,000 properties now in the process. These are properties where the landlord is selling up and the tenant is a social housing tenant, probably on HAP or possibly getting the rent supplement, and they are now becoming regular social housing tenants. About 3,000 of those properties are now in process. The right to buy legislation was approved by Cabinet today. I hope to get that through the House as soon as possible. There is also a tax incentive for small landlords to encourage them to stay in the market and reduce the flow of small landlords in particular who are leaving the market.

Regarding the LDA, it is a new Government agency, essentially. It is a public developer and a public builder. It got off to a slow start but now it is producing results, building homes, selling homes and renting homes around the country, including cost rental, affordable and social. We are glad to see that is now finally happening. Announcements on capitalisation do not have to happen in the budget. We are working on that at the moment. What I can guarantee to the Deputy is that the LDA will be adequately capitalised to carry out its work and to build as many new homes as it possibly can, both on public land and on private land.

On the issue of CPOs, I will have to come back to the Deputy or confer with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, because I am not fully across the detail of it.

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