Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank all Deputies who contributed tonight and last night to this important debate. While we have had our disagreements, the discussion has been mostly cordial. Although the Government has tabled a counter-motion, which is disappointing, the discussion has highlighted the seriousness of the problem. It is no longer good enough for the Government to say it inherited this problem from the previous Administration. To continue with the same tactics and approach as the previous Government is disappointing.

It was reported today that AIB is to increase its variable interest rates, which will affect 70,000 households. If proof was needed that the banks are immune to the difficulty faced daily by struggling mortgage holders this is it. This move by AIB should be a call to action by this Government to allow an independent body to impose settlements on banks. Action has been promised again and again but the figures show these promises have not been lived up to. Sinn Féin has repeatedly shown that there is an alternative. We are tired of reminding the Government that there are alternatives. We have worked hard to give this Government options which we felt it could support. However, these proposals have fallen on deaf ears.

Last night and tonight we again made the plea for Government to listen and to work with us on finally beginning to resolve these outstanding issues which worry the people of this State every day. Equivocation by the Government and its failure to take decisive action has, unfortunately, added to the crisis. Action is required. The first step now must be to revisit the Personal Insolvency Act and remove the veto from the lenders. As long as the lenders have a veto there is little reason for them to seek fair compromises. We are calling for independent agreements on mortgage distress to be decided by a mortgage restructuring panel appointed by the Minister. This panel would be empowered to act as an arbitrator with the authorisation to impose on both parties agreements aimed at prioritising the protection of the family home.

Sinn Féin accepts that neither Fine Gael nor the Labour Party created the serious problems we face, particularly in the case of the social housing shortage. However, it now falls on them to address the problem. The crisis was a collaboration of most Governments since the early 1980s, which sought in the best traditions of Thatcher to push private ownership over public provision, not in the interest of improving the conditions of housing for working people but in order to remove the State's responsibility for housing.

We differ from the main parties because Sinn Féin believes housing is a right. Five years ago in the House the Labour Party co-signed a motion with Sinn Féin calling for the construction of 10,000 social housing units a year for the following three years. This was against the backdrop of falling revenue and a housing crisis which was moderate in comparison to the one we face today, with 60,000 on waiting lists then rather than the 100,000 today. Back then the Labour Party had not given up on large-scale social housing projects, but, of course, it had not yet been shackled and dragged to the right by Fine Gael. It is hard to believe we are dealing with the same party.

Yesterday evening the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, told us the Government was on target to deliver numbers similar to that called for in the motion. That is not correct. The numbers may be similar, but what they represent is completely different. The Minister of State's numbers represent more stop-gap measures but no solutions. The motion calls for the commencement of a building programme to deliver 9,000 homes in approximately two years. These would not be new social housing leasing opportunities which would make private profit at public expense and revert back to the hands of developers; properties rented or bought on credit by voluntary bodies which they could not be sure they could afford; shared ownership homes which would be surrendered; be for new rent supplement recipients, or people participating in the rental accommodation scheme. This is a proposal to build real social housing.

This discussion has been very worthwhile. We have heard many ideas and put forward our own on how to look at the housing issue. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, will take them on board. During the debate we have mentioned the homelessness crisis and the problems faced in dealing with it. We also have a crisis on our hands with regard to mortgages in distress. I ask the Minister of State to try please to address it.

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