Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to put on the record that I am the chair of Threshold. With regard to the housing market generally, the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, stated in its 2004 report that up to one third of all Irish people would require assistance with their housing in the future, either through the provision of social housing, assisted purchase or another format. In its most recent report this year it reiterated this point. We cannot depend on the market to provide housing for at least one third of Irish people and this is the bottom line.

Given that we are dealing with pre-budget submissions, as opposed to this being a general chit chat on housing, this discussion is on exactly what the asks are. My questions will be based on a three-pronged approach and I would like all of the witnesses to focus on it. My first question is with regard to what can be done in the short term. We acknowledge there is a crisis, so what are the most important measures to deal with it as it stands? I accept we are speaking about fingers in the dyke, but in the opinion of the witnesses what measures must be included in the next budget to stem the crisis?