Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Another week in the Dáil and there is another plea from the Opposition for the Government to tackle the worsening housing and homelessness crisis. There is little I can say today that I have not said before. The Government's housing strategy is simply not working. By any metric, it is failing badly. House prices are skyrocketing, rents are still rising unsustainably and every month new records for homelessness and child homelessness are being set.

The ideas outlined in the motion are not new. Many Opposition Deputies have been calling for them for years. We are calling for them again because the Government has not listened. In June 2016, the Committee on Housing and Homelessness issued its final report. It recommended that the State increase its social housing stock by an average of 10,000 units per year. It identified the core root of the crisis as being the lack of building by local authorities and the Government's over-reliance on the private sector. The Government still has not changed its approach. It is still convinced the private sector will solve the housing crisis.

In June last year, the Dáil passed a Green Party motion calling for an independent and well-resourced building regulator to protect homeowners. The Government has instead continued with its self-certification regime. In November, the Dáil passed a Sinn Féin motion calling for greater protection and security for tenants. The Government has not made any move to provide greater support for renters. In March, the Dáil passed another Green Party motion calling for the implementation of a cost-rental model of affordable public housing. There is no sign of the Government embracing cost-rental housing on the scale needed to tackle this crisis.

The Government has not changed its course. We have heard constant talk of new politics since the beginning of this Dáil. We have seen it in action. We have seen cross-party support for a change of approach when it comes to housing. We, as the Opposition, have provided the ideas. We have called on the Government to take action. Is that not how a parliament is supposed to work? Obviously not on the watch of this Minister of State when it comes to tackling this unprecedented crisis in housing and homelessness. If a change is not made, we will continue to be in a housing crisis for as long as this Government lasts. It is a symptom of incredible short-sightedness to think that the road this Government has been going down on housing can work.

The Government has tried its way for too long and it is not working. It is never too late to listen. Start today and commit to taking on board the ideas the Opposition puts forward. Let us commit to working together. This is not a laughing matter. We are talking about an unprecedented crisis in homelessness and housing. We ask him to take on reasonable practical solutions presented by the Opposition.

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