Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014. This is probably one of the most fundamental pieces of legislation to be considered by this House in this session. I am somewhat concerned at the short window we have to consider the Bill. Although the scheme of the Bill was considered by the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, the actual Bill was only published on Friday. It will certainly have profound consequences for thousands of citizens. It is a pity we did not have longer to look at it.

Before I discuss the provisions of the Bill I wish to make some comments about the scale of the housing crisis, which I have raised many times in the House with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, in particular in recent weeks. I have repeatedly called on the Government to introduce a proper capital investment programme for social housing. I have had just two minutes to glance at the Government's Construction 2020 document. I was surprised that the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, was not present at the launch. I see nice photographs of the Taoiseach and Tánaiste but no sign of the Minister of State.

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