Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, that contrary to his assertion, the Government's position has not been echoed by anyone in this House. It is quite the opposite. Everyone is saying that the Government is in total denial and if it keeps on this path the housing crisis will get worse.

By my count, since the start of this Dáil just over two years ago, there have been 31 motions, statements or Bills about the housing crisis. We also had a specially convened Committee on Housing and Homelessness. The issue of housing is raised every single day in this Chamber and yet the situation is getting worse. The Government seems to think that the measures it implements are helping but everybody else can see they are not helping. Every citizen in the State is affected by this issue, not just the people who tonight are awake on the streets or those who cannot sleep because they are so worried about having the money to pay rent or whatever. It even affects the people who are sitting on the property they bought in the 1990s. They saw the value of their property increase by 431% between 1995 and 2007 but they may have their adult children at home with them tonight, probably with their children too. These adult children are trying to save for a deposit. Every single citizen knows that land hoarding is one of the key contributing factors in the lack of affordable housing. This Bill is an attempt to deal with that.

For me this is a crossroads discussion in the House tonight. We now either move decisively on the issue, which has not been done for 45 years, or we continue as we are. It is totally disingenuous for the Government to come into the House and say the measures it puts forward are making a positive contribution. The Government is putting up the card saying that it might be unconstitutional, even though the foremost legal minds have evaluated this aspect and have said it is not unconstitutional.

Even if we did not have that advice and the Government genuinely believed it was right, it would be proposing a constitutional referendum on the issue, it is that important. It is not good enough for the Government to sit here and pretend we are on the right road when, unless it moves on this, it will only make matters worse. Land speculation and hoarding are at the core of much of what is wrong with our housing market.

Also at that core is NAMA's interference. I will cite a brief example from my area. A group of individuals had been trying to purchase the old rugby club in Malahide from NAMA since 2015. They did not want to make a killing on the deal, only to provide for local families, and were willing to pay NAMA above the odds. The Minister for Finance told us that the lands were part of NAMA's residential delivery programme. However, those individuals were cut out of the equation and houses are now being developed, with NAMA seeking €700,000 for them. It is a joke.

The measure before the House could transform the situation overnight in a way no other could. I plead with the Government to forgo the nonsense of killing the Bill with kindness and pretending it does not oppose the legislation. Otherwise, it will do our citizens a great disservice. They deserve better. The Government can step back from its position and progress the Bill in a genuine and positive way.

See this speech in context