Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak on this motion of no confidence in the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I will concentrate on the first three parts of the motion before the House, as they relate to important issues.

I am worried about our democratic process. I am worried and extremely angry about the fact that there are 50,000 people on local authority waiting lists. We should revisit the phrase "social housing", as there seems to be a strange attitude to it in the wider society. We should resolve this question soon, as the phrase "local authority housing" is good enough for me. The real issue in this debate is the fact that there are 50,000 people on housing waiting lists. It is a disgrace and an act of social vandalism. I believe strongly in the right to housing — houses should be built when people do not have enough. The Government should face the reality that there were more mass housing schemes in this country in poorer times than there are today.

We have a Minister who cannot deliver our post, a Minister who attacks working widows and a Minister who is so busy clapping himself on the back about his smoking ban and the new nanny state that he does not want to see or hear patients on trolleys or the 3,000 adults with intellectual disabilities on waiting lists. The Minister who is the subject of this debate cannot provide enough houses for those who want to make a positive financial contribution to the cost of their homes. That is the reality of the wealthy Ireland of 2004.

I would like to make some concrete and positive proposals in respect of housing. We need to legislate for the right to housing. Can the Minister explain why this has not been done? Housing is a basic human right. Ireland must honour its international obligations by guaranteeing a right to housing and by legislating to remove the inequalities in the housing system. Urgent action is needed to cut the record housing waiting list, which stands at 48,413 households. The local authority housing budget should be tripled to at least €1.7 billion in 2004. This would help to produce an output of at least 7,000 local authority housing units in 2004. It would begin to tackle the backlog on the housing waiting lists. The housing budget will need to be adjusted accordingly in the coming years to maintain the required level of housing output. I am also calling for an increase in the amount of local authority housing provided under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. This is needed because a massive 85% of households on housing waiting lists have incomes of less than €15,000. One could not afford to buy a home on such limited earnings.

Urgent action is needed to reduce the growing number of homeless young people and families with children. We should end the practice of housing families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation, other than in emergency cases. We should ensure that families do not stay in such accommodation for longer than a month before appropriate accommodation is secured. We have to provide adequate transitional and short-term housing, with access to appropriate support services, for families with children. We should provide move-on accommodation for families leaving emergency and bed and breakfast accommodation. Suitable housing and support services should be provided as part of a dedicated aftercare plan for young people leaving care. That is my rounded and broad view of housing.

I do not favour the Minister's boring new electronic voting system, which does not have a proper paper trail. There was nothing wrong with the dramatic system of people counting ballots by hand, which often led to exciting television coverage as details of counts and transfers were reported. I am concerned that the new system might drive voters away from polling stations and that the electorate might lose interest in politics. I urge Deputies to support the motion of no confidence in the Minister.

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