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

Well certainly within parts of the city that I represent it is true and I see it again and again. Let me withdraw what I said there a moment ago because I do not have the figures in front of me to back up a nationwide claim but I have the experience in front of me to back up a citywide claim. Sinn Féin councillors continually vote against the provision of more homes in the city of Dublin. In the face of the level of human need that all three Deputies are correctly identifying here, we need more homes and homes that are a broad mix in our society. Yes we need more apartments built and also the local authorities directly building more homes, as Dublin City Council is doing in Dominick Street at the top of O'Connell Street. These are beautiful new city council accommodation, the like of which is being built all over Dublin at the moment. I want to see more of that accommodation being built - and as the Minister for Finance I am making the money available for it to be built - while at the same time acknowledging that IRES and the remaining real estate investment trusts, REITs, have a role to play, in particular in the increase of apartment supply.