Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In terms of the Taoiseach's international contacts with people like the Prime Minister of Canada and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, has he had an opportunity to get some advice or seek some experience from what they as countries have learned in terms of addressing issues like the housing crisis and the crisis and difficulties in the HSE? In particular, I would like to know if they have discussed how countries invest for the future. The Taoiseach and his Cabinet have produced a 22 year capital programme which is unusually long. On paper there are a great deal of proposals by the Government but in practice that plan will probably extend over the period of three to five Governments and in the meantime our housing crisis, particularly in social and affordable housing, is getting worse. It seems that part of the problem with this Fine Gael Government is that it has, at a minimum, a delicate apprehension which is negative on social and affordable housing as though somehow or other people might get a greater sense of entitlement than the Taoiseach's party would traditionally see people who rely on social housing as having. Has the Taoiseach taken the opportunity to share experiences with countries like Canada, a country of major immigration, which has had big house building successes in its different provinces, but also with the Republic of Korea, which has a significant public investment record so that just as we often advertise Ireland for what we have done well, we might gain some knowledge from them as to how they have addressed those problems in housing and health which are currently besetting the Government?

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