Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, on this but would like to hear the Government's response or some kind of response. Amendment No. 913 proposes a minimum requirement of 20% social housing and 30%, on top of that, social and affordable housing in all developments. We propose the Part V social and affordable obligation, which is 10% social and 10% affordable, goes up to 50%, comprising a minimum of 20% social housing and a minimum of 30% that is a combination of social and other forms of affordable housing, whether cost rental or affordable purchase.

To summarise what I said earlier, the rationale is simple. The vast majority of working people are priced out of the market. They cannot afford rents or house prices. I would say 60% to 70% of single-income earners cannot afford what the market is delivering and there is no sign, and I believe no chance, the private market will deliver or is interested in delivering housing that is affordable because it is motivated by profit. We have to do something about this. Whether the Minister of State has my ideological perspective or not does not really matter. The point is that it is obvious to all and sundry. Even some building contractors and developers now say the market is not capable of delivering the affordable housing we need.

It might be of interest to the Minister of State that next Tuesday outside the Dáil at 5.30 p.m. the Raise the Roof campaign, which involves housing groups, trade union groups and many of the left parties represented here, will hold a major rally at which we hope to see large numbers of people demand more affordable and secure housing because of the failure of the Government to deliver that. Central to their demands will be the direct construction of far more social and affordable housing. One demand is the Government raise the current level of 20% social and affordable to a higher level. This is necessary. We are in an emergency and a crisis and need to take far more radical measures.

What is the point of stuff being built at €600,000, €700,000 or €800,000? To my mind, it achieves nothing. We have to deliver housing that is affordable. The market will not do it of its own volition. The State has to intervene and this is a way to do that.