Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish those Ministers the very best.

The second issue I have relates to the community section of the Department. Why did the last Government spend so much time trying to integrate all the community organisations with local government when it is now gone? Similarly, while I support the concept of a housing Minister in principle, it is not yet clear whether the new housing Minister will have additional powers over and beyond the ones that currently lie in the Department. I will reiterate my belief, which I have stated here and before the housing committee, that banking rules, taxation policies, NAMA and the rent supplement scheme are all matters that should be governed by a housing Minister. Otherwise, the creation of such a title and such a Ministry will be pure tokenism. I gravely doubt that this will materialise.

There are also some hidden dangers in the measures proposed in the programme for Government. They may cause even further delays in housing. While I in no way oppose a review of the planning system, the point remains that planning permission is in place for more than 27,000 units in Dublin on which there has been no action. What if the building industry and developers now, as a consequence of the programme for Government, decide to wait until the reviews of planning and building standards are complete before proceeding with developments?

This could be an unintended and rather negative consequence, something I urge the Taoiseach to examine. It has the potential to delay housing response further, especially in the private sector. It will not ease the issues we all have in housing and homelessness, of which we are all well aware.

The actions proposed in the programme for Government for housing, those led out in the Trinity treaty, are for the most part under way. Those listed in the programme for Government are under way. In fact, of the 55 housing actions mentioned, more than 40 are already under way and a further four were taken directly from our party's manifesto.

Moreover, I note that the commitment to generate 17,000 social housing keys across all schemes this year has been dropped. This is most concerning and I want it explained. We need to keep building on the processes in place. The first three months of 2016 saw the greatest number of people leave homelessness and enter secure tenancies in Dublin. We need to maintain that momentum. The new Minister responsible, Deputy Coveney, needs to take on the concerns and ideas universally expressed in the Committee on Housing and Homelessness, at which I have spoken.

Despite all that, I wish this Government well, genuinely - such is the freedom of opposition. We all have a vested interest in this Government lasting some period. The Labour Party Members, former colleagues of Fine Gael Members in government, will play a constructive role and will provide solid, constructive and sensible - I emphasise the last word - opposition at all times.

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