Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I am not saying that these houses do not exist, but the average price is double that. It would be great if they stayed at that price, but it is not controlled by the Government at this stage. It is unacceptable that the average house price in Dublin city is far beyond the means of the ordinary person. I challenge the Minister of State to introduce such a savings scheme to help young couples buy a house of their own.

Another issue that has not been addressed by the Government is social and affordable housing. It is estimated that 77,000 houses will be constructed this year. According to the NESC report's figures, which were published today by AIB on the web, one third of purchasers of these houses will buy a house for the second time. The Minister should do a deal with the construction industry, which employs more than 250,000 people, so that it would meet the Government's demand for social and affordable housing. The requirement for people in this category will be between 0.5% and 1.2% of the 77,000 homes under construction this year. As demand for housing drops, the Minister should do a deal so that when houses are built, the Department will purchase them at a price that people can subsequently afford. That is what must happen. It is the only future for social and affordable housing.

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