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

They were camped in tents on roundabouts. It was both strange and extraordinary, but they had no place to go and there were no homes available for them. They could not afford what was available. That is a sad reflection on society.

We are in a situation where young people are not in a position and do not have the confidence to aspire to do what their parents did and own a home of their own. In theory, it is a human right to have a home and there are many ways by which one can have it. We have to provide the means for the young generation to get into the housing market and I have no doubt that the Minister has the ability to do so. I know that he understands the problem. We need to do what we have to do quickly. I do not want to hear from local authorities the notion that it will take three or four years. That is a very simple answer.

If there is one thing that really riles me, it is when a person is knocked off the local authority housing list for ridiculous reasons. Their income is, say, €38,000 and the presumption is that they can buy a house - like hell they can.

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