Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

I did not hear anyone on the Government benches speak about a crisis. There is a crisis in housing. Other speakers have stated we are living in a different world but people who come to my clinics speak in terms of a crisis. It is a crisis for the 48,413 families, many of which are living in poor or overcrowded conditions, that are on local authority housing lists because they cannot get housed.

Is it not a crisis if one is homeless in this city? On 11 September the homeless mobilised outside this building because three people died sleeping rough on the streets. That, to me, is a crisis.

The likes of the Simon Community, which is dealing with homeless people, states that more hostels are being built but there is no movement of people into local authority housing. The people concerned are stuck in hostel accommodation. They cannot move on with their lives. They cannot get on with getting jobs etc. because they do not have accommodation. That is a reality. That is a crisis for people.

There are people sleeping rough in my area of Tallaght, but the local authority is not aware of it. Today I spoke to three people who are sleeping rough. That is a crisis. If one speaks to the homeless unit in Tallaght, the staff will speak of the crisis that exists.

The Government's emphasis is on affordable housing and shared ownership. The previous speaker stated it was difficult for first-time buyers to purchase houses, and so it is, but is it not more difficult for people who are poor, people with a disability or people on low wages? It certainly is not easy for them. This is the same Government that says that the gap has not grown between the rich and the poor. Of course we are living in a different world if we say that.

Some €375 million is spent on rent supplements. Why is that not being invested in social housing? It makes no sense. We are lectured constantly about our lack of experience in economics, but the reality is the Government would rather give the money to landlords than invest in public housing. That needs to change.

Housing prices have continued to rise. The figures for the quarter to June 2005 show an increase of 11.8% nationwide and 7.4% in Dublin. Second-hand house prices increased by 10.1% nationwide and by 10.3% in Dublin. Wages are not increasing by that much for many people and that is the crisis people are facing.

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