Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have had the opportunity again to address the House on these issues, which are so important. The issues of housing and homelessness are absolutely the top priority in my Department and ones we face head-on. This country is dealing with the legacy of a property bubble that contributed to an economic crisis, which in turn led to massively reduced budgets for key social services, such as housing. Unsustainable oversupply in the wrong locations was replaced with minimal supply and pent-up demand, putting huge pressure on the private rented sector. The Government has got it right on the economy and right on employment, and we are committed to getting it right on housing. However, housing will take some time to get right and, in the meantime, we absolutely have to protect the most vulnerable. The Government’s comprehensive response, as I have outlined, deals with all the key segments of the Housing system and includes vital immediate, short-term and medium-term to long-term objectives in order to ensure we deliver as promised.

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