Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The country is facing a growing housing affordability problem to which the Government has yet to face up. Ordinary people can no longer hope to afford to own their own home because of rising prices. Fine Gael has an appalling record on providing affordable housing. It scrapped the existing affordable housing scheme in 2011 and nothing has since been built. The flagship LIHAF scheme is still not delivering. In my area, the LIHAF in Ballincollig, which was to be the largest in County Cork with an investment of €7.4 million, was to deliver 520 affordable homes. It has now been dropped from LIHAF 1 because it was not progressing. Across a field from it, 34 social houses planned for Old Fort Gate have not been delivered. The Poulavone social housing scheme is still far from completion. When one consider such situations in one corner of the constituency, it is hard to blame people in Ballincollig for feeling that the Government has not delivered and has abandoned people in terms of housing. That is only one corner of Cork north west. There are similar situations in many other places because affordable houses have not been built for many years.

Fianna Fáil has put forward a clear list of measures to boost overall supply and address affordability. The Minister must facilitate home ownership by requiring lenders to take account of rent payments when deciding on mortgage approval. People are paying high rents and it is impossible for them to put together a deposit at the same time. A first-time buyers savings scheme is needed. The Government must encourage residential development in town and village centres, in which there are many vacant units. That would greatly add to the sense of community in such places. Renters must be supported by strict policing of rent pressure zones with more enforcement powers.

We need an end to spin and schemes and a move towards blocks and mortar and the delivery of houses that people on ordinary wages can hope to someday afford and call home.

See this speech in context