Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

This Government has been in power since 1997. It is an absolute disgrace that after ten years of the Celtic tiger, in one of the richest countries in the world with major resources, 43,000 families are on waiting lists for local authority housing, sometimes for years. The legislative changes made by the Government have contributed to this debacle. There is no doubt that 16,000 to 20,000 houses would have been provided under the terms of the 2000 Act if it had not been amended. Whether because of closeness to developers or otherwise, however, this legislation was changed, with the result that up to 20,000 families remain languishing on local authority housing lists.

The resources are available to reduce and ultimately eliminate those waiting lists quickly. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul seeks a completion rate of 10,000 local authority house units each year from now until 2012. This is very much achievable when one considers that in the last ten years, there have been current budget surpluses amounting to some €44 billion. Consequent on political decisions by the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government, however, that money has been spent not on the provision of housing or health and educational services but on roads, broadband and bridges. It was a political decision to condemn 43,000 families to local authority housing waiting lists.

The debate on the price of building land must take place in the context of a review of the Kenny report. The recommendations of that report, which was completed as long ago as the 1970s and is agreed by everyone to be excellent, must be implemented.

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