Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The Taoiseach will be relieved to hear I will not be calling for a recount in Dublin North this close to a general election but many people will want to know where the 1,294 missing votes have gone.

As this is the last Leaders' Questions this session in which the Green Party will have the opportunity of posing a question, I ask the Taoiseach to reflect on what his Government is elected to do. The Constitution, in its preamble, requires him "to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured". Dignity and freedom, for many, means the wherewithal to afford a house and the 2005 reality was a housing waiting list of 43,864 applicants, that is, over 100,000 people, and others mortgaged up to their eyes and in ever increasing debt. Under his Government, debt has increased from 40% of disposable income to over 130%. The total personal debt in the country is just shy of €130 billion, that is, €32,000 for every man, woman and child. Essentially, an industrial wage is owed before a person starts earning a euro.

The OECD states the housing market is overvalued by 15%. Given the average house price is €300,000 and one third of that price comprises the site price, I ask the Taoiseach to acknowledge that if that house was built on a site priced as agricultural land, that is, approximately €10,000, rather than the inflated price currently allowed, the price of the house would be approximately €210,000. Does the Taoiseach accept that by not acting on the report on building land by Mr. Justice Kenny of 1973, his Government is standing over——

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