Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It has to be genuinely affordable housing. One point I commend Deputy O'Brien on is his attempt to define affordable housing as being related to income. I agree that the previous scheme which Fianna Fáil presided over was simply a percentage less than the market price. We need to relate affordability to people's incomes because while the cost of housing and rent have gone up exponentially in recent years, people's incomes have not gone up to anything like the same extent. I agree with him on that point.

It is really disappointing that there are not more specifics in the motion. We will not be able to support it. All the points in Sinn Féin's amendment are specific and positive ones that we can support. Deputy Cassells has gone but I could not figure out what his point was because he seemed to be justifying what I see happen in my constituency where Fianna Fáil local representatives object to housing developments but do not propose any alternatives.

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