Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will make a couple of observations and ask some questions. I am a glass half full rather than half empty type of person, and I would rather consider what we are doing and where we can improve on that. I commend the help-to-buy scheme. The Government got a lot of backlash over it, with claims that it would be an inflationary mechanism. We have proved that it was not, given the Central Bank limits and rules on purchase prices, first-time buyers, etc. I commend the Minister, as 10,000 people have homes today who might not have otherwise.

Any proposed policy has to be evidence based and the Minister has to show us from where that evidence comes. That is not always the case with Bills from the Opposition or other parties. A policy has to go through various legal rounds before reaching the public domain. The forthcoming rental Bill has had to go through that rigour.

Unintended consequences have been discussed. A number of Bills have been before the committee. I have agreed with some and disagreed with others. The latest one is the anti-eviction Bill. I see that Deputy Barry has returned. Bills like this create instability and uncertainty in the market. When we create uncertainty through policies that have not undergone the legal examination that a Government Bill is subjected to, it creates uncertainty for landlords who own one or two properties and are vital for putting roofs over people's heads, causing them to withdraw from the market. That is why the Houses must be careful with the Bills that we introduce.

I may get parochial about the Shanganagh site. I did not bring cameras there, but anyone who wants to do so can. That is his or her own choice. With Councillors John Bailey, Shane O'Brien and Michael Merrigan, I instead brought an actual proposal. Regardless of whether plan A, B or C is chosen, a proposal with a breakdown of what can be delivered on the site is far more deliverable than bringing a camera there. My way of coming up with solutions is to make proposals rather than talk about them. The figures are being finalised in respect of that case.

Dún Laoghaire faces more complications in terms of the cost of land, but it is achievable. It might just take us longer. I would rather build a housing market in our area and across the country that is on solid foundations than one where people want to run before they can walk. This has to be sustainable and lasting. We must show continuity and consistency in the construction industry. We must ensure that the mistakes of the past do not happen again. I was a member of the local authority from 2004 to 2012. With the withdrawal of Government delivery of social housing, there was a direct move to Part V and private developments. That is not the policy in Rebuilding Ireland. We have moved far from the previous situation.

Regarding Brexit readiness in the construction industry, I commend the committee on its report. We engaged with many stakeholders. Ms Sarah Neary from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government worked with us on it. She has done a great deal of work on ensuring that materials in the UK and Ireland have the same markings so as to offset possible delays owing to standards in the event of a hard Brexit. I commend the Department on taking on board the recommendations.

The older people policy is a pivotal part of delivery. In fairness, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has been at the forefront of delivering right-sized housing for people in receipt of social housing. We now need to move to the private stock. I thank the Department for taking on board in its own report all of the committee's recommendations and for acknowledging us.

Going around in circles talking about HAP gets tiring. Never have I heard a tangible alternative to it. At some point, we must call that out. If someone criticises something, he or she must come up with a solution. It might not be the solution, but that person has to meet people half way. It is very easy to be critical all of the time if people do not have to come up with solutions as well.

I commend the success of the Rebuilding Ireland loan scheme. Far more people have availed of it than we envisaged, yet others are trying to turn that into a negative. I do not get it. I am not referring to Deputy O'Brien.