Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for tabling the amendments. Section 2(a) of the Bill, as published, states that the purpose of the Bill is, "to enable urgent measures to be taken to increase the supply of housing in the State and in particular affordable and social housing". That is pretty clear on what we want to do. The amendment from Deputy Boyd Barrett and his colleagues seeks, to insert "public and affordable". That is in the Bill already. The same goes for the amendment from Deputies Ó Broin and Gould.

I do not want to get into a back and forth discussion with colleagues about how they believe they are not delaying, objecting to or stymying housing developments at council level. The people know what the situation is in that regard. The purpose of this legislation is to progress matters and get the State delivering and building. It is remarkable that Deputy Ó Broin has again said that he is fundamentally opposed to the LDA, which is a State company, building homes. One would have believed that, for someone who purports to want to deliver 20,000 public homes per year but will not say where, by whom and how, a State land development agency that delivers social, affordable and cost rental homes at scale would be viewed as necessary. That is what we need to do. I will remind colleagues that the State is the largest builder and part of the housing market.

I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett that this is not just about supply, but the right supply. That is why the Affordable Housing Bill passed Second Stage in the Seanad last night. It is the most significant affordable housing legislation ever introduced and will deal with affordable purchases through shared equity on State-owned lands, provide cost rental at scale through the first national cost rental scheme in the history of the State, and introduce provisions expanding Part V to protect the 10% of social housing in private developments while adding a further 10% affordable housing. These are mechanisms that deliver the right type of supply. The State is intervening. The Deputy regularly talks about the State having a role to play in housing, and he is right. Here is an opportunity to support the State's involvement through a State agency building housing. It seems that, in every instance, members of the Opposition will seek to oppose, not what we are trying to do, but what we are going to do to help delivery this year through the Affordable Housing Bill and this Bill. We need to get on with that.

I oppose these amendments because there are already clear references - I have cited an example - to affordable and social housing in this section, as there are in multiple sections. The amendments do not add anything further to this section and only seek to rephrase the text as demonstrated. I am referring to the second grouping of amendments up to amendment No. 36.