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

I thank the Minister. I am glad we are discussing this again. I have raised this issue with the Minister on a number of occasions. As the Minister is aware, Fianna Fáil made the delivery of an affordable housing scheme an absolute priority in the budget negotiations and secured €310 million over the next three years to kick-start this scheme. I am pleased that Sinn Féin has belatedly come on board and recognised the need for affordable purchase because that party opposed this very thing in the Dáil last May and opposed the budget as well. That said, we are all in agreement that there is an urgent need for the delivery of affordable homes. House prices are 90% higher than they were in 2012 and home ownership rates have dropped to 67.6%, the lowest level since 1971, while rents are soaring. We need the option of affordable purchase and affordable rent. When will the Minister actually publish the regulations? He reintroduced Part V after last June. When will the regulations will be published and when will we proceed with building affordable homes on State-owned land?

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