Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I was saddened to hear from the Government benches long apologies and insinuations that the Opposition does not understand the housing problem. It is the Government that has not understood this problem. The saddest part of this is when we are told record numbers of houses are being built when they are being bought by financial institutions, investors and others who rent them back to the unfortunate people who are ultimately paid by the supplementary welfare system. To heat more coals on the heads of those in need of a home, the Government last year decided to curtail those welfare payments.

Since the Government came into office, house prices have risen. There has been much waffle and hot air from the Government about building new houses. However, there has been no action. Some Government Members explain this away by claiming there are different problems, such as a growing population. We always had a growing population. In the mid-1980s when there was allegedly no money in the State and those on the other side of the House claimed they had the answer for everything, my local authority, in one year, provided 600 houses for people on waiting lists. This was a time when the list comprised 1,000 people. Now there are more than 3,500 families on the housing list but only a dribble of social housing being provided.

Recently, I tabled a parliamentary question on the landbanks available to the local authorities for social and affordable housing. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government replied that the information was not available. That is gross negligence on the Government's part. There was never an intention to resolve the housing problem. It has been raised in the House for the past seven years, yet not one attempt has been made to resolve it. However, now coming near the general election, the Government will put its hands together to pretend to the public it is addressing it. "Too late" is the answer.

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