Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

When the Taoiseach meets the social partners at the next scheduled meeting on 14 July, will the very important issue under Sustaining Progress, housing, be on the agenda? Does the Taoiseach agree that but for the commitment by Government in the course of the negotiations for Sustaining Progress to provide an additional 10,000 affordable houses, that agreement would likely not have been signed up to by several of the trade unions?

When last I raised this question with the Taoiseach in February, he indicated in his reply there had been 500 completions under this additional commitment and that a further 1,500 completions would be recorded in 2005. Has the Taoiseach noted that last weekend in Killarney the Construction Industry Federation's house builders' conference was advised that not one — I repeat, not one — of the 10,000 affordable homes under Sustaining Progress had yet reached the planning stages? Which is the truth of the matter, the report given at the CIF conference last weekend in Killarney or the information provided by the Taoiseach to me last February? Should the record of the House be corrected in that regard? Where are the promised homes? If the Taoiseach is standing by the information——

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