Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

It is complete nonsense. What is wrong with the pension fund being used for desperately needed social housing when it would produce a stream of income? If one wants to use the Minister of State's term, it is a commercial employment of the fund. Rents would come back from the part of it that was rented and mortgages would come back from the affordable homes sector. It is so obvious. Why should the Government be forced to go out to the capitalist bondholders to borrow money when it already has it in taxpayers' funds? Not only will it get that back, it will get extra back as well.

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