Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I think we are all delighted to have an opportunity to speak on this particular strategy. It has been long awaited and is long needed. I thought for many years that we would never see the day we would get to the stage where a housing strategy became evident in the House of Parliament. At last something is being done directly about the issues, which some of us saw and foretold many years ago while they were gradually and inexorably coming in our direction and creating what was initially a problem and then a crisis.

We are great in this country for having problems for every solution. That does not necessarily apply to this House but it certainly applies outside the House. The first question is if it will work and the second where the money will come from. We cannot afford the luxury of it not working. That is the bottom line. The Government has correctly put in the extra resources necessary because things do not happen unless provision is made. The provision in this case comes down to the funding available. There will be issues but the strategy can be tweaked satisfactorily to the benefit of the country, economy and the social life of the country.

I so not understand why people object to other people's houses at the present time. I know there have been situations where explanations have been given, but I just do not understand it. I am one of those who feels that the most urgent issue for most families is a roof over their heads. Many people in this country either do not have a roof over their heads or face the prospect in the not too distant future of not having a roof over their heads. We have all dealt with cases where people have slept in cars, under bridges and in the open air over the past six to eight years. This happened night after night and, in some cases, included small kids. Whatever about adults in that situation, this has a most detrimental effect on children. We hope that during the course of this plan we will see coming to fruition something that will address what we have all been talking about for a long time.

There is another issue that I would like to see dealt with. I have spoken to the Minister about it and I hope it will become a reality. It concerns the old-fashioned local authority housing loan. We all knew about them. They were the first port of call for most young professionals. For most people in working class areas, the very first thing they wanted was to own their house. I think the Acting Chairman, Deputy Eugene Murphy, mentioned that Irish people do want to own. They do want to own their house. The reason they want to own it is it gives them security. They have a stake in society and they are part and parcel of the economy. They know that if they have a job they will be able to hold on to their house. They have a vested interest in the economy of the country, which is a good thing because it involves everyone.

Those who told us many years ago, when I objected to the housing plans that were followed, that we would change and become more reliant on private rental property were wrong. It did not work, cannot work and will not work because it does not give the tenant the responsibility they want themselves, nor does it give them fixity of tenure. They can never know when they will be asked to move on or for what purpose. We all know about that issue. Incidentally, there is a good cohort of landlords who are very decent. They treat their tenants on the front line as if they were their own family. Unfortunately, others are not so concerned and we have seen their activities over recent years.

I am delighted we have reached the stage of having a tangible plan before us. We hope it works. We should all do everything possible to ensure it works. We should add to it the bit about the housing loans, which can be provided for in the plan, to encourage those who are now asking where they will get a loan. They want to buy and own their own house and are asking how they can do it. There are two issues. We need to make supply available to them and we need to ensure a loan system on which they can rely is also available to them. I mentioned that at my parliamentary party meeting earlier this evening.

I met a substantial business person in the recent weeks. The first thing he said to me when he was talking about this housing situation was that the very first house he owned was purchased with the benefit of a local authority council loan. Thousands of people throughout the country did the same. The strategy will be hugely beneficial to everyone, the economy, the social life of the country, house owners and tenants. Everything that has been added into the mix eases the current pressure.

I am delighted to have had this opportunity to contribute and thank the Acting Chairman for facilitating me.

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