Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I am very disappointed the Minister of State and the Government tabled an amendment to the motion. The motion is relevant but, on the basis of politics, the Government tabled an amendment. Housing is an essential social necessity and houses must be provided to purchase or rent at a reasonable cost. Local authorities must build houses for families to rent or purchase because people need their own homes. Families spend years living in totally inadequate flats as they await housing, but the conditions are wrong. The price of houses in the private market is outrageous. Both partners must work to pay the mortgage. NESC stated 10,000 affordable housing units should be provided as quickly as possible, but thousands of families remain on local authority housing waiting lists. The Government parties have failed the public and they have forgotten the great people who depend on local authority housing and affordable housing schemes.

A new national housing policy should ensure everybody has access to a good quality home in a sustainable community at a price he or she can afford. This issue will not be brought to a close tomorrow evening. The Labour Party will continue to pursue this matter to ensure attention is being paid.

The rent allowance scheme was referred to by previous speakers. Community welfare officers have made it more difficult for people to obtain the allowance in recent months. They are putting pressure on single mothers by telling them they will lose the allowance and, consequently, this issue must be examined.

Mention was made of Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Having introduced the provision, it was outrageous that the Government should amend it to provide for landowners and speculators. The housing programme will always change when builders are not making a profit. That scene is changing and it is about time the Government changed its attitude and built houses for people that they can afford.

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