Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

Like previous speakers, I congratulate the Ceann Comhairle on his appointment and the Tánaiste on his elevation to that post.

I listened to this debate in my office for some time and found fundamentally depressing the assumption that those on the Government benches have a monopoly on wisdom on these matters. Nothing demonstrated that more clearly than Deputy Ardagh's contribution. It really is a dialogue of the deaf here, although there is merit in some of the content of all the contributions.

I accept the Minister's points that we must safeguard the Exchequer and that there is a demand for funding for a variety of public services. However, we must put the want-to-be home owner centre stage in this debate. Home ownership has been a long cherished ambition in society and it is now a dream for many people who, ten, 15 or 20 years ago, would never have been clients of local authorities for housing, be it social or affordable. That is the issue that must be centre stage in this debate. While there may be a cost to the Exchequer of yielding on some of the points raised, there is also a cost to society of not addressing this issue, which the Exchequer will end up bearing indirectly. There will be a greater demand for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to build more social and affordable housing because people are put at such a financial disadvantage that they cannot afford to buy houses themselves. It is a dialogue of the deaf. It is fundamentally depressing.

All the Minister needs to do is to yield on some of the issues raised, which have merit. If there were a willingness to engage in serious debate, it would not be beyond the capacity of this House to come up with a solution that would address the problems of many want-to-be home owners for whom this Government is killing the dream.

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