Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister could provide a breakdown by local authority, that would be even more helpful. Let me get this straight: he anticipates 22,300 housing in the housing strategy but indicates that 1,400 houses will be built next year. That is far below the target he outlined previously. We should not fool people out there who are desperate. The 2,000 units to be leased from private landlords are existing rather than new houses. As I do not think these houses will be found, will the Minister explain where he anticipates finding them given that we know landlords are not interested. Approximately 1,000 vacant units will also come from existing housing stock. The rental accommodation scheme will be continued even though landlords have no interest in this scheme, and 8,400 households will transfer to the housing assistance payment scheme.

The Minister made great fanfare but his Government is spending less money on social housing than Fianna Fáil and the Green Party spent in 2010. He claimed that the Government is massively increasing expenditure in this area but it is spending less than that shower spent before the crisis began. He referred to expenditure of €700 million but the previous Government spent more than €800 million. People in the midst of a crisis of homelessness think the Government is increasing expenditure but actually it is doing less than previous Governments.

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