Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wanted to refer to it in passing. There would not be a need for AHBs if the local authority system had prevailed. Unfortunately, the weight of the housing issue is being thrust upon AHBs, which are not capable of dealing with it and were never suited to it. As the Peter McVerry Trust shows, though, they are capable of dealing with specialised issues, for example, addiction treatment and sheltered housing. There is a growing need for such facilities, and it is a need that will continue to a greater extent than we have ever known.

The problem is that, on top of the trust's work, responsibility for ordinary, general housing is falling to it, but doing it that way is not possible. Fr. McVerry will be sitting there in ten years' time discussing this issue if we do not revert to the original system, which I support, of local authorities providing housing with specialised issues falling to AHBs, which handle them well.

Rent levels have risen to what they were in 2007. We discussed this matter with the Irish Property Owners Association, IPOA, a couple of days ago. As a result of many contributing factors, however, incomes are sadly not what they were in 2007. Nor are they likely to be for some considerable time. We must address the issue of affordability. Various proposals have been made.

I will conclude now, but I wish to repeat an issue that I have raised previously. I am not a communist or socialist-----