Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have already had six plans. We have had more than a dozen launches and relaunches, too numerous to count. The Government needs to deliver. It is about bricks and mortar and foundations in the ground, which is key for the 130,000 waiting to have a home.

Fianna Fáil supports the motion and I commend those who have introduced it. We are willing to act responsibly and to work cross-party to deal with the crisis. Almost 7,000 people are on the housing list in my constituency of Kildare and 150 people are in emergency accommodation. Home ownership is slipping away from an entire generation. House prices are rising by 13% and yet family incomes are rising by a derisory amount. Renting in Kildare, as in Dublin, Galway, Cork and other counties, is becoming prohibitively expensive. Those on HAP or RAS are finding it increasingly difficult to find a private rental property they will be able to pay for with the allowance they get.

Fianna Fáil also had a key input into budget 2019 on the increased social housing fund and the affordable housing scheme, but unfortunately we have not seen any plans on that. We would also establish an affordable rent scheme, which would be very important for those who need to continue to rent. Even though people are very keen to complain about landlords, we need measures to keep landlords in the market. We need to address delays and red tape in the Department and local authorities.

The motion calls for the establishment of a housing development bank, with which we agree, and to increase from 10% to 20% the requirement to sell housing units at cost to the local authority under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

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