Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We both agree that this is a real problem. We need to tackle high rents. Where we disagree is that the Deputy thinks there is only one way to reduce rents while I and this Government appreciate that we must do it in a number of different ways. "Yes", we need more social housing. We added 9,000 units to the social housing stock last year because when we have more social housing, we are able to take people out of the private rental sector, bring them into social housing and free up properties for others who need to rent. That is one way of doing it. The second way is more private housing built by private developers because lots of people want to buy their own homes. If more people who are renting could buy their own homes if they were available, that would free up properties for others to rent and help bring down rents. The cost-rental model is also part of the solution and that is what we are piloting in Emmet Road and other places. There are also increased protections for tenants. The Deputy will be aware of the laws that have gone and are going through this House to increase protections for and rights of tenants so I do not think there is only one solution to this. We must approach it in four or five different ways and in a practical and non-ideological manner and that is what the Government is doing. What we are saying with regard to Land Development Agency lands is that up to 50% of those sites should be social and affordable housing and 50% homes for people to purchase so they can own them themselves and become homeowners but we must apply some flexibility around the different sites in different places. It may not always be practical to do that but that should be the overall objective.

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