Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

It is incredible that I the answer to my matter on homelessness does not contain one mention of building any new homes anywhere, particularly not in the capital city. In December, there were 6,097 individuals homeless. In January, there were 6,428. This means that, within one month, almost 400 people in one city were made homeless. I suspect that it is for the reason I suggested. It always increases because landlords decide to end leases and make families homeless.

I pay tribute to those who were employed to go out and who volunteered to do so, groups such as Inner City Helping Homeless and the Muslim Sisters of Éire, whose videos I saw during the weather report. What is the Government going to do? I mentioned Cairn Homes, which is sitting on lands zoned for 14,100 homes, 90% of which are in the greater Dublin area. However, this company completed only 418 houses - taking up 3% of its entire land capacity - in 2017. The average selling price was €315,000, hardly affordable to the average person. Cairn predicts that it will increase the asking price for its next 400 houses to €374,000. Its gross profits quadrupled in 2017. Hoarding land during a housing emergency is akin to hoarding food in a famine. That continues because capitalism allows companies of this sort to control large amounts of land. The biggest hoarders of land in the State are the local authorities. It is interesting that the Minister of State did not mention any increase in the number of homes that will be built in the cities where they are most needed. Ideologically, the Government has turned its back on public housing. That is a real tragedy for those who are suffering most acutely. The money is there to build public homes that are affordable and social homes. There has been a huge increase in the amount of wealth at the top of society. There are also the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, and the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, funds.

See this speech in context