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

That is why the system is beginning to deliver. It has taken years to put the system together again but it is now beginning to deliver houses. Hopefully, we will get back to the scale we need. There is a commitment to get to 50,000 houses and then beyond that. The idea that it is part of Fine Gael’s ideology not to do social housing is not true. It is not fair to say that when the commitment is there. That commitment is backed up by everyone in the House.

The Minister, Deputy Murphy, addressed the changes proposed in Deputy Jan O'Sullivan’s Bill. We agree with parts of it but we cannot agree with it all. We are bringing in a Bill ourselves in the month ahead. Hopefully, we can include some of these proposals in that. A second Bill is being published for the autumn. With a bit of effort, we may be able to squeeze things in. Everything one does when one intervenes in the rental market must be analysed carefully, which the Deputies opposite will appreciate. That is why things will be done in the autumn if it is not possible to get them through in this Bill or the Bill coming through in June. There are proposals here with which we agree. We had a discussion last night on student accommodation also. This is an area in which we will act. I thank the House for the time.

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