Dáil debates

Wednesday, 27 January 2016

Social Housing: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]

 

6:50 pm

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There was no mention of acts of treason by any Member of the previous Government, as was alleged by Deputy Gilmore to the catcalls of his colleagues. There was no mention of documents being shredded in the Taoiseach's office, now occupied by Deputy Enda Kenny, considering the fact he stated he sought to find them and despite the fact they had been in the hands of the Department of Finance. Rather, I believe, there was confirmation of the fact the Central Bank and the Financial Regulator assured the then Government of the solvency of Irish banks.

The Government has form over the past five years in this regard, when confronted with issues and failures on its part. The public has noticed this, has paid attention to it and has reminded us of it in recent weeks. We acknowledged the results of the last election and we wished the Government well on entering office. We commend the Government on having completed the job of bringing income and expenditure into line, considering the previous Government had done two thirds of the heavy lifting. The means and method by which it went about it on this issue leaves much to be desired. The Government continues to throw out figures it thinks can pull the wool over our eyes. More importantly, it thinks it can pull the wool over the eyes of the public. As Deputy Kelleher alluded to, the Minister, Deputy Kelly, stated yesterday 13,000 keys were handed out last year, but that is not true and the Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, knows this. Of these, 2,700 were vacant units which were refurbished and this is nothing to be proud of. When they were constructed and built many years previously, there was nothing in the contract to state they should be left idle for two years after ten or 15 years. The Government wants a pat on the back for refurbishing them. The reason they needed to be refurbished was because the Government failed to put in place a tenant purchase scheme which would fund local authorities and give them the capacity within their funding streams to be able to ensure they were turned over regularly. The Government has allowed the 30,000 cap to remain in place, and local authorities need the approval of staff in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government before they can proceed

The Minister of State mentioned 9,000 local authority units are in various leasing programmes. In many of these cases there was a change from the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, to the housing assistance payment, HAP. The Government is renaming things and giving the impression keys were handed out. They were not. Another point made was that our proposal was somehow breaking the law with regard to the provision contained in the legislation giving effect to NAMA, that the Minister for Finance cannot direct NAMA to construct houses for the benefit of the State, despite the fact there was an implicit clause in the legislation that there should be a social dividend for the State. If it is illegal why then did he direct it to build 10% only for social housing? If it is illegal to build 50% it is illegal to build 10%. Last week, the Taoiseach stated it would cost €2 billion and on Sunday he stated it would cost €3 billion, so he does not know. He does not have a clue to be quite honest.

The Minister of State said there were no funds and we were broke. The credit unions, for which the Government seems to have scant regard, considering what it signed in recent weeks, have €2 billion on deposit in the "pillar banks", as the Minister of State calls them, propping them up. They are not allowed the scope to invest in this sector, to invest in their communities, to revitalise them and to make a telling contribution within them.

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