Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The most amazing thing in all of this is that there is almost surprise among some people that there is a housing crisis. This has been unfolding for many years and there has been no effort or intervention by the State in terms of increasing its capacity to build homes or to fund construction. There is a myriad of blockages across the system from planning to funding of developments. Local authorities are now without any capacity to build houses as all of that has been stripped out.

We have concerns about the 4%. We were criticised by our left wing colleagues who said we were play acting but it was about trying to ensure that rents would not escalate any further. We already have a situation where rents are at a very high bar and they are unaffordable for many. Any further increase in rent would put huge pressure on those people who are already under pressure. The purpose of our efforts was to try to ensure that the Government would examine the 4%. The Minister must respond rapidly to the concern that has been expressed about areas other than Dublin and Cork. One cannot have a situation whereby families outside the designated zones are potentially left vulnerable to rent increases.

We would welcome some movement on this.

While we welcome the fact that there is an intervention, the bottom line is that nothing has been done for the past five or six years to help unwind the blockages everywhere and ensure supply.

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