Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I agree with the overall points raised in the petition. While I do not want to get into a debate here, the Austrian model builds 2,700 units per year outside Vienna. Austria has a standard rate of rent of approximately €600 per month and they supply their schools, doctors and everything else. While the petitioner is flagging up a point about nervousness and planning for the future, we must acknowledge, whatever Government is in power, that not enough is being done to build affordable units. Not everybody wants to own a house. We have some kind of psychological block in Ireland that one has to own a house. It is all about having security and a home. Under the Austrian model, however, people can live in massive communal villages where no one is under pressure. It does not matter how much a person earns a month, there is a standard rate. If a person agrees to terms and a contract, he or she has harmony. When there is harmony in an area, it increases the mental health and wellness of individuals and communities. It is a model we should look at. It should be noted in relation to the issue the petitioner is trying to raise that no matter who is in government, we should plan for the future and look at alternative models that are affordable.