Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

During the past week the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, made a number of comments on housing matters, which, as we are all aware, are in a dire situation. Following the comments of the Minister, is legislation or Government action on these issues imminent? The first issue is the scandal of an estimated 250,000 empty houses in the State. To use the Minister's words, is urgent, radical action going to follow to ensure these houses are made available for people who are homeless or rotting on a housing list? On the same subject, I heard a worrying comment by the Minister in respect of the Irish Glass Bottle site to the effect that he hoped we might get 10% of it for social and affordable housing.

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