Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the Acting Chairman would allow me a couple of additional minutes to allow for the interruptions. Some 25% to 30% of the housing on council-owned land will be social housing and 75% will be privately mortgaged or, to use the new term, "affordable rental" houses. What does affordable rental mean? Perhaps the Minister will clarify if I am correct that it is 70% to 80% of market rent. The cost of renting in many parts of Dublin is €1,200 to €1,400. That is not affordable. That we would call such a level of rent affordable is laughable. The people in Tyrrelstown who live in houses and not apartments are paying €1,500 per month for small dwellings. An affordable rent for them under the proposed scheme is not affordable. We need to raise the eligibility levels for social housing so that people such as bus drivers, etc., can apply for it. We also need to provide people with affordable mortgages, such as were previously available from the councils. The mortgage I obtained from Fingal County Council 12 years ago when I was a teacher allowed me to access a house. We need to give other people that same opportunity.

I received an e-mail last night from a family whose rent is being increased by €100. While €100 would not be a lot to the Minister, it is to the family in question. The couple's monthly income - they are both working - is €1,700. They live in a two bedroom house with their three children and their rent is being increased to €1,200 per month, which will leave €500 per month for five people to live on. Is there anything in the plan for them? No, there is not one solution. What we need is emergency legislation to ban repossessions. The Committee on Housing and Homelessness recommended a moratorium on repossessions but the Minister did not take that on board. How many months will it take before it becomes obvious to him that we need rent controls and that the private rented sector is the source of homelessness and poverty? The Minister plans to entrust 65% of social housing provision to the private rented sector. This is a hugely expensive way of providing social housing. We need to return to utilising public land and public funds to build a range of affordable and social housing for people to buy or rent.

See this speech in context