Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

Given that more than 50,000 people are on the social housing waiting list, is it not time for a change in the Government's strategy on foot of reports of this nature? Is the Minister of State prepared to examine a proposal made by the construction industry to enter into a public private partnership with the Government to build more houses to be used by the Government as social housing? It is likely that the building industry will have spare capacity this year and next year. It seems that we have reached the limit on the number of houses people want to buy. Will the Minister of State consider the construction industry's proposal to build houses by means of a public private partnership and then rent them to local authority tenants or make them available under affordable housing schemes? The construction industry would benefit from the payment it would receive in that way.

See this speech in context