Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We all share Deputy Durkan's concerns and we all want to try to solve the housing problem as quickly as possible. Most Deputies daily meet people with a housing need, whether in our clinics and offices or, as I do, on visits to projects. Members from all parties are committed to delivering a minimum of 50,000 houses over the next three or four years through Rebuilding Ireland. We want to go beyond this objective by meeting the commitment given in Project Ireland 2040 to build upwards of 12,000 houses annually thereafter. This should address the social housing requirement in the years ahead, provided sufficient land is also made available to deliver affordable housing. We believe that will be possible.

Rebuilding Ireland is a five-year programme, which commenced less than 18 months ago. Many people judged An Action Plan for Jobs after 18 months when they argued the plan was not working. The plan delivered a couple of hundred thousand jobs in three or four years and helped to solve the unemployment problem. Likewise, if we stick to the action plan for housing, introduce new schemes to deliver affordable housing and increase investment, as the Minister has done, we will achieve the progress required to ensure the housing problem is tackled in the years ahead.

All of our solutions are based on supply. Last year, commencement notices and planning permissions increased threefold and 50% year on year. It is hoped that a minimum of 20,000 new houses will be built this year. The construction sector is of the view that 23,000 new units will be provided this year. We have also made significant funding available for social housing to help tackle the housing problem.

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