Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Where there is a will there is a way. If the Minister wanted to, he would have sorted that out and that funding would have been invested in local authority housing. It is outrageous and people on the doorsteps are saying they cannot understand a Government which is facing a housing crisis will not deal with this. The Minister states he has all the money to build the housing but we have not seen local authority housing built.

We asked the Minister to bring in greater security of tenure for tenants. We have asked him to put a cap on the rents. We have asked him to sell rented accommodation with sitting tenants. We have asked him to ensure the banks bring in more mortgage-to-rent. Only 147 mortgages that are in distress have been brought into the mortgage-to-rent scheme.

This is a disaster. If there was a tsunami here a year and a half ago or three years ago, we would be looking at emergency funding being put in to rebuild society. We need our society rebuilt and an emergency needs to be called from today. I want to hear the Minister being more positive when he responds to the debate.

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