Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We all know we are in the middle of a housing crisis. There is a shortage in the supply of homes, yet prices continue to rise at an incredible rate. An entire generation now sees homeownership as something that is totally out of their grasp. An entire generation does not believe they will be to live in the towns or cities where their families have lived for generations.

While some wait for years on social housing lists, others, like a couple earning €55,000 or a single person earning €30,000, are told they earn too much to be considered for social housing. However, they earn nowhere near enough to buy a home in places like Dublin. When I heard the Government's plan for its new affordable homes scheme, the first thing which worried me was whether it was simply a scheme designed to clear the way for people to purchase overpriced homes from property developers. If the answer is "Yes", then we will be left with massive problems further down the track.

A section in the motion calls for the amendment of Part V of the Planning and Development Act to provide for 10% affordable housing in addition to the existing 10% social housing requirement. This is a common-sense proposal and it could make a big difference to citizens who have been left in a catch-22 situation. In my constituency, I regularly meet people caught in such situations. The Lawrence land on the Oscar Traynor Road have been lying idle for years. We were promised big developments on this land and we need to see them happen, particularly in the context of the provision of social and affordable homes. To facilitate the latter, there must be appropriate public funding. The Government needs to seriously look at working with local council to build truly affordable homes.

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