Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is still not enough. We have record numbers in homelessness, huge numbers on housing lists and a particular failure to deliver social and affordable housing. Even properties that are built are too expensive. They are completely out of the reach of the vast majority of people. It is clearly not enough. The Minister raised the issue of capacity. The NDP says that the Government will strengthen the capacity of local authorities to deliver social and affordable housing. The local authorities seem to have no capacity to deliver housing. We have argued for a State construction company and for massive recruitment of tradespeople, construction workers and so on in the local authorities in order that the State will have its own ability to deliver capacity. Instead, the Government leaves it to the private sector. However, as said by Goodbody Stockbrokers and others, the private sector does not have the capacity to do it. If the targets have to go up, and given that it is clear that the existing targets cannot be met, what is the Government going to do to build up the capacity to deliver housing, particularly the social and affordable housing we so urgently need?

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