Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have to say I have yet to find the Minister orderly. I have given the facts. The last time we were in government, an average of 3,645 social houses were built each year. That contrasts with the position during the Minister's tenure. The Minister of State, Deputy English, has said we cannot fix this overnight. I would have thought that five years would have been enough. We should have seen some progress after three years. There are 508 units being built each year, in effect. Over 16,700 houses were delivered under the affordable homes scheme that was previously in place. There is no doubt that there were imperfections with that scheme. We are looking to engage to create a scheme that will work. That is what we will do prior to the budget. We will put forward our proposals. It is up to the Government to decide whether to accept them. As I said earlier, the purpose of this motion is to lay down a marker that this is the beginning. We want to see a housing budget. We will assist and we will be constructive. We will work with everyone, but we will not be silent when we believe the wrong track and the wrong approach are being taken. The centralisation of power within the Department is a problem in itself. The Government needs to unleash the local authorities on this. They should be trusted to do their job. Too much power is centralised in the Custom House. That is a big issue.

See this speech in context