Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will start with an apology because unfortunately I cannot remain for the entire debate and the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, will be coming in after me. The motion says that shelter is a fundamental human right and I do not disagree with that at all. The motion also says that it is the duty of Government and the State to have that right fulfilled through the provision of quality and affordable housing. I do not disagree with that at all but we are not waiting for the market as the Deputy proclaims. It was a Fine Gael led Government that put the provision of public housing, social and affordable, at the heart of Government policy and at the heart of Government spending. It was a Fine Gael led Government that created a Department and Minister for housing, a Fine Gael led Government that created and published the Rebuilding Ireland framework over a five year period, a Fine Gael led Government that oversaw one in four of homes built last year built for social housing and that also saw 27,000 new tenancies created last year through taxpayer money and it was a Fine Gael led Government that will oversee €2.4 billion being spent this year on housing, more than any Government has ever provided in a single year in the history of the State.

Labour held the housing brief until the middle of 2016, when it had a majority in the Dáil and it did not do any of those things, but a Fine Gael led Government did do that after the 2016 election.

See this speech in context