Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I just heard the Taoiseach say that he came across a local authority "by chance" and that one would get lost in the figures. That is exactly the problem. A major lesson the Government should have learned in the past six years is that a policy of over-hyping and under-achieving will catch up with one. That is what has happened in relation to housing.

The Taoiseach will recall that various Ministers for the Environment in recent years have all had different strategies and have announced a long series of actions. In concrete terms, however, it has meant very little on the ground - about 8,000 new builds over the last four to five years. The CSO's figures have blown a hole in all of the announcements and various claims made for new house builds.

I can remember the former Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, saying everything was in hand; that they were on top of it and were going to have great results. It goes on. Self praise and exaggerated claims pale in comparison with the reality on the ground, including what has happened over the last 12 months. Social housing lists continue to grow and housing supply is at historically low levels, while house prices are increasing well ahead of most people's ability to afford them.

It has been revealed today that rents have climbed dramatically, while supply is only a fraction of demand. It is feeding into a sense of helplessness regarding the homelessness crisis. The Taoiseach and the Government need to admit that they are not getting on top of this matter. Government policies are not penetrating with the required degree of urgency. The Cabinet sub-committee on housing must acknowledge that it has not delivered. Some alternative proposals should now be considered, particularly in terms of reducing the cost of building, including VAT and other costs.

The help-to-buy scheme has inflated house prices, which is its fundamental contribution to the situation. It has increased the price of housing generally and has not added to supply in any shape or form. The Government's execution and delivery proposals are failing abysmally. We do not need any more plans or strategies. We need to start building and getting some action on the ground.

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