Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Things have changed. We are no longer giving out 100% mortgages. We are acutely aware of the pressure in the housing area, particularly in the greater Dublin area and some of the cities and larger towns around the country.

It has not spread with the same momentum. That is why the Government has worked in recent weeks to put together a realistic, practical response to the construction sector, which is not contributing to job creation and the general economy to the extent it should. Deputy Boyd Barrett is aware that it used to contribute 25% of GDP when it was building 100,00 houses while only 30,000 were needed. It is now down at 6% or 7% and it is building 6,000 or 7,000 houses when we need 25,000 or 30,000. We need to get from where we are to where we want to be without creating a further bubble. As Deputy Boyd Barrett pointed out, it is a seller's market in certain areas of Dublin because demand exists there. I notice the property pages of some of the newspapers are expanding again with the houses that are available.

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