Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

That so much progress has been made by residents in those areas through developing their communities is no credit to this or any other Government but a credit to those communities' endurance, will-power and resilience. We, as a society, need to build on what has been done by these communities which have pulled themselves out of the gutter, where successive Governments had thrown them, and build vibrant strong communities. All housing developments must be integrated and people must be able to secure affordable and social housing within their communities.

The Government, in particular this Minister, will never do that because it will never accept that there is another way, other than that driven by free market economics. Perhaps the Minister is merely a competent right winger who cares nothing for the homeless, those living in overcrowded conditions and those commuting ridiculous distances because they cannot buy a home near where they work. Investment in housing is an investment for the future of society and communities. However, the Minister cannot accept this. That is why the Government will never deliver a right to housing which is at the core of Sinn Féin's approach to the housing crisis.

My party is committed to working for a properly funded national housing strategy and the establishment of a national housing agency to co-ordinate all aspects of housing provision. It is equally committed to the elimination of homelessness. Unlike this cowardly Government, it would intervene in the property market to ensure that all people are able to access affordable housing. Capital gains tax on speculative buyers would be increased. Sinn Féin would also ensure that developers did not cream off huge profits at the expense of communities who cannot house themselves.

The Minister's record on environment raises the question of what on earth is he doing with his portfolio. Since taking office, he has only paid lip service to environmental concerns and protection. Government policy has promoted private transport through road construction, incineration as a method of waste disposal and emissions trading as the preferred method of complying with the Kyoto Protocol. It shows little interest in promoting environmental sustainability. The Minister has distorted the polluter pays principle and has targeted households rather than the primary polluter, which is industry. The Minister will evidently not be content until he has further damaged our environment by forcing incineration on communities against their will. His commitment to incineration is in contrast to his lack of determination to reduce the amount of waste being created. Incineration flies in the face of a real environmental waste management strategy. It causes air pollution, the emission of toxic fumes and an increased volume of traffic generated by the transportation of waste over long distances. Building an incinerator requires large capital cost. Once built, it must be seen to be fed, which will lock incineration as the primary method of waste disposal for the next 20 years.

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