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

I do, as 75% of it is contingent on leasing from developers and renting. It has been said here already that this is not going to work. The fact that we are spending so long discussing the Bill is somewhat annoying, because it is not going to deal with the housing crisis. We are trying to use it as an opportunity to expose that. It lays it bare that the Government will not make it compulsory for local authorities to provide social housing based on this. They can spend it on architectural, historical, archaeological and artistic structures. They can build statues with the money from the vacant site levy or provide services and facilities for local communities. That is not ring-fencing the money for housing. It is a general fund that local authorities can use for all sorts of things, including the preservation, improvement and extension of amenities. That money could, in theory, be used to put a statue in Malahide. This is ludicrous stuff. The fact that the Government is not willing to nail it down means the amendment must be put to a vote.

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