David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We all know that what we have at the moment in the context of housing is a perfect storm where local authority supply has dried up and the State has not been building social housing or local authority housing for some time, which has added to the crisis. We also know that Part V housing has dried up because there is no private development and even though there is a need, because of house prices at the moment, it is impossible for builders to construct houses as it would cost them more than they would get for them. All of those issues have forced people into the private rented sector and that has driven up rents, which has created the current crisis. Due to the cap on rent allowance, many families come to the Minister’s office and to the offices of the Fianna Fáil representatives and all other Members in this Chamber because they cannot get landlords to sign up to the rental allowance scheme, RAS, and the housing assistance payment, HAP, and because landlords do not take rent supplement tenants in the necessary numbers to deal with those who require social housing. That is the perfect storm we have at the moment. That is the nature of the housing crisis we are all trying to address.

I accept there has been some positive movement by the Government in recent times and while it does not go far enough, at least some action is finally being taken to address the housing crisis. In part, that is due to all parties coming together to discuss the issues, as was the case at the Committee on Housing and Homelessness that examined all of the issues. While all parties do not agree with all of the proposals, let us at least celebrate the fact we have some movement. What I do not support, however, is a move to reduce housing stock at this juncture. That would be a bad idea. A couple of weeks ago, Deputy Micheál Martin said in this House that we need to start building council houses again and yet the Bill would actively reduce the number of council houses in the State. I do not see the logic of that approach, given the crisis we have.

I do not have enough time to address the Bill in detail. When one only has three or four minutes available, one can only address the broad points. My other two colleagues will make similar points. Like Teachta Ó Broin, I agree that the Bill was introduced with the best of intentions but, unfortunately, its outworking would have the net effect of reducing the amount of social housing stock in the State at a time when we have a housing crisis and I do not think that is the solution that is required to deal with the problems faced by the people in my constituency of Waterford and elsewhere in the State.

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