Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It now appears that many of those found by the tribunal to have acted corruptly may go scot free and some of them may even have their legal costs paid for by the taxpayer. I welcome the statement by the Mahon tribunal reported in today's The Irish Timesthat some of the tribunal's corruption findings will not be erased.

As a Dublin councillor for over 30 years, I witnessed many of the events that were revealed in the tribunals. The planning light-touch era, presided over by Fianna Fáil, led to Priory Hall and to pyrite.

It has been all too obvious that the construction sector and the housing market were heavily affected by the economic downturn and the bursting of the property bubble. It has been all too obvious that a poorly regulated banking sector, with lax lending standards, combined with inappropriate fiscal policies adopted by the then Government, led to a property bubble the consequences of which are still evident throughout the country.

This Government recognises the importance of ensuring a strong but sustainable construction sector and housing market that meets the needs of the economy and of society. The Government's Construction 2020 strategy for a renewed construction sector is focused on addressing constraints that are inhibiting new housing supply, such as planning, mortgage and development finance, infrastructure, public investment and regulation.

The publication of the social housing strategy 2020 in November 2014, which builds on the provisions contained in budget 2015, sets out clear measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, to reform delivery arrangements and to meet the needs of all the households on the housing lists.

The social housing strategy 2020 will provide 35,000 new social housing units over a six-year period to meet the additional social housing supply requirement, as determined by the housing agency. It will support up to 75,000 households through an enhanced private rental sector. It will reform social housing supports to create a more flexible and more responsive system.

I support the approach taken by this Government and I commend the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, for his work on this policy. It is infinitely better than what the Opposition could arrive at, especially given its record. After 14 disastrous years, it is time for a change.

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