Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is acknowledging that the capacity was not there for some time because our construction sector needed to grow. Regardless of whether the State or a private sector developer was trying to employ them, the reality is that we were constrained because we did not have enough people available within our country to build the homes we need. That is improving. We are beginning to see more people working in the construction sector than we have seen for some time, in part due to the work that is under way with an improved apprenticeship pipeline. The Deputy always makes the inference that anything the private sector does - such as a home being built by a developer who wants to make a profit out of it - is bad or not to be trusted. That kind of ideology is a recipe for Ireland building fewer homes in the future. We need local authorities and approved housing bodies to build social and affordable housing - I accept we need to do more of that - but we also need a private sector that is capable of standing on its own two feet and of building more homes. We are making progress in the delivery of that.

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