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

We showed respect for Sinn Féin contributions. A little courtesy may be too much to expect from some Members in that party. The Government, Sinn Féin, the Labour Party and Solidarity joined together to defeat a motion that would have provided affordable housing for working people. The facts scream out that intervention in providing affordable homes is needed. House prices have risen by 90% since 2012. Household incomes have only risen by 7% in that same period. The average house price in the capital now stands at nearly €370,000 or 6.5 times the average household income. A comprehensive, fully funded affordable housing scheme must be put in place in this budget to start delivering affordable units next year. We must open up home ownership to a generation struggling to own their own places. The State has a central role to play in that and budget 2019 must show real action on the issue. The State now needs to lead and show an example. The market will not solve this problem. The State needs to intervene.

The social housing budget must be increased to well above 2008 levels. The Rebuilding Ireland direct build targets for 2019 need to be expanded and a housing first approach to tackling homelessness and addressing waiting lists needs to be prioritised. Stabilising rents and ensuring there is a sufficient flow of rental units available are vital to a functioning rental sector. Attracting and retaining landlords in the market must involve a fair taxation system. The budget should allow reasonable expenses to be deductible and incentivise long-term leases that provide certainty to tenants. A rental tax credit to alleviate the costs of meeting the monthly bill would go a long way for struggling tenants. A residential tenancies Bill must strengthen tenants' rights and also expand supports to students. Away from the budget there are a number of legislative and policy steps we should take. Fianna Fáil has published ten Bills specifically addressing the housing crisis, which is more than any other party. The Government must fully engage on these issues. In the areas of social housing, the rental sector and home ownership there are further policy steps that should be adapted to get to grips with the crisis.

We need to end homelessness and give hope to the 10,000 people and 4,000 kids who are homeless. It is a national scandal and it cannot be allowed to continue.

That is why I and Fianna Fáil have called for the establishment of a time-bound, focused task force to tackle child and family homelessness. The Government should get the stakeholders together and deliver solutions. For social housing, additional resources to assist homeless families must be put in place. Local authorities should be equipped to deliver housing. We must consider the landholdings the State owns: more than 3,000 ha of zoned serviced land that could deliver 114,000 houses. The new Land Development Agency is a step in that direction but we need that to be expedited. In the rental sector, regulating such accommodation platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.comwould open up more units while maintaining the character of residential areas. The cost rental model should be expedited and rolled out across Ireland. A national deposit scheme and quality accommodation certificate should be fully implemented. In the private sector, a rolling affordable housing scheme should be used to build tens of thousands of homes for families and young couples to own their first home. We want funding set aside in this year's budget to establish such a scheme and to build on it year on year. A new special savings incentive account, SSIA, type of savings scheme for first-time buyers to help them save a deposit for a house should also be implemented.

These are some of the ideas that can help get homes built, take vulnerable families out of hotel rooms, and give a generation back the dream of home ownership. We have to be honest and say that motions like this do not build homes. Viable policies backed up by financial commitment over years will address the housing crisis. That demands responsible politics. Fianna Fáil is committed to responsible politics. Now is not the time for bringing down the Government and causing a general election. I think all Deputies know that deep down. Let us work to address the issues we have identified in this debate and show a real political commitment to action, not grandstanding. There is common ground on what actions are needed to resolve this crisis. Let us get on with it and show that the Dáil and the people's representatives have the wherewithal, competence and ability to work together on what is the major crisis of our generation for the good of the people and our country.

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