Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Can the Taoiseach give an indication of what proportion of the cross-departmental team's work is taken up addressing the issue of our housing needs? Is he aware if the cross-departmental team has carried out a detailed study of the report on housing carried out by the National Economic and Social Council? The cross-departmental team must be aware that the NESC recommended the construction of an additional 73,000 social housing units between 2005 and 2012. Can the Taoiseach give us a sense of the importance the cross-departmental team places on the whole issue of housing provision? Can he give us a sense of the extent of that address given there are some 44,000 household units currently on waiting lists at local authority level throughout the State and that for many today the idea of aspiring to home ownership, where the current national average cost is €308,000, is totally prohibitive? Will the Government adopt the NESC report as policy and will the Taoiseach ask the cross-departmental team to play its part in progressing the proposals contained therein?

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