Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This issue was hammered out well in committee. The members of the Government are talking the talk in terms of the crisis in social housing and we are supposed to give the Government a bualadh bos because three years into its term of office it is recognising that it is a bad thing to keep social housing boarded up, rather than released in towns and villages throughout the State, and that we need to start constructing social housing to meet the demands of the citizens, particularly in our capital and other cities throughout the State.

Amendment No. 10 adds a clause to the effect that the agency would be required to bring forward proposals in respect of investment in those sectors to support economic activity and employment. It does not commit the agency to invest any money. No money would be committed by the agency to any area. It is a question of the agency bringing its expertise to bear on proposals for investment.

I would rather see social housing included in the directed investment part of this legislation such that the Government could direct investment into social housing to address the crisis. We should spend some of the €6.9 billion on social housing. However, this is a more modest amendment which allows for the agency to bring forward proposals for investment in the sector to support economic activity and employment. Any investment in social housing supports economic activity because economic activity would flow from it naturally. The construction of social housing would bring employment as well. It is a question of how the agency would consider investment proposals. I support amendment number 11. It goes further in respect of real investment in this area. Anyway, there is no reason whatsoever for the Government to dismiss amendment No. 10 since it only calls for proposals to be examined by the agency. The Minister of State may argue that the agency does not have the necessary expertise but we are creating the NewERA agency on a statutory footing. The Government should let the agency acquire the expertise.

One of the things inherited by this Government is a long social housing waiting list. The Government has exacerbated the problem by deciding not to construct social housing over its term of office, but this is not unique to the post-Celtic tiger period. The lack of social housing in this State has been a recurring theme throughout successive Governments and over many decades and generations. Let us develop the expertise whereby the agency can come forward with proposals for investment in the social housing sector, as it would in the forestry, telecommunications, water or energy sectors.

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