Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The measures mentioned by the Taoiseach give scant relief to those who are facing personal and family crises. I accept that they have given relief to people in some cases. His predecessor had to apologise for suggesting that those who complained about the housing market should commit suicide. In November 2007, the Taoiseach told the annual dinner of the financial services industry that "fundamentals in the Housing market remain strong and the central scenario is for a soft landing". Those who were seduced and pressurised into buying houses in 2006, 2007 and 2008 are staring into a very bleak future. I refer, for example, to a couple with two or three children who spent €500,000 on a house on a hillside 60 miles from Dublin, but have since lost one or both of their jobs. The measures mentioned by the Taoiseach will not deal with their problems. While I recognise that there is no magic wand for anybody in a situation like this, I should mention that a growing number of them are experiencing enormous pressure and stress.

The Taoiseach said the expert group will produce a report shortly. The Government needs to recognise that those who were caught in a pincer movement between the housing bubble, which was inflamed by the Government, and the economic collapse are now being crushed to the extent that they see no hope for the future. A newspaper report on one of the likely recommendations of the expert group is worth noting:

For those considered unlikely to be ever able to afford to repay their mortgage, the expert group will recommend in its final report that they should be encouraged to hand back their keys and seek social housing.

There are 56,000 people on the social housing waiting list at present. I ask the Taoiseach to outline, on behalf of the Government, the preparations that are being made to deal with the storm that is about to strike. Is the Government telling those who lived in Ireland when it was suggested that economic growth would never end that they should hand back their keys and seek social housing? To what extent is the Government preparing to deal with the catastrophic storm that is affecting so many people?

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