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

We have a challenge with housing and homelessness in this country and it is a serious one. My concern tonight is that the motivation that has brought us to this debate is not a genuine one. Nevertheless, I am the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government. I am responsible for housing and homelessness in this country and I am accountable to this House, as I always have been. I know all too well that people are hurting in this crisis because I meet them every week in my job. It is my determination, as Minister, to see them through this crisis and to see them right at the end of it.

Rebuilding Ireland is our housing plan and it is constantly being reformed and improved. That can only happen with the support of this House, because we are a minority Government. That support has been forthcoming quite often. For example, when I was appointed as Minister and I increased our social housing building targets by 30% and secured €500 million to do that, I was supported by this House. When I introduced some of the most progressive rent reforms earlier this year, I did so with the support of this House. Earlier today, we approved a new regulator for the approved housing bodies sector. Again, that was with the support of this House.

Last year, I lifted the height cap on buildings like apartments, again with the support of this House. Reforms have been made under Rebuilding Ireland. Before we talk about all the challenges faced by renters, first-time buyers, people who are living in overcrowded accommodation and those who are at the sharpest end of this crisis, including people who are sleeping rough on the streets and families in emergency accommodation, we have to talk about supply, which is the fundamental problem we are facing. We are facing it because our housing sector was broken in the past. In 2013, only 4,500 homes were built in this State. In 2014, just over 400 social housing homes were built in this State. Like others, I can throw around facts and figures, but I suggest there are certain facts we cannot escape. When Rebuilding Ireland was launched in the middle of 2016, it contained a commitment to the delivery of 125,000 new places to live by the end of 2021. We still have two years to go, but we have already delivered 64,000 new places to live. In the last 12 months, 26,000 new homes started under construction on new sites. More than 30,000 homes have planning permission. These numbers are increasing. Only 4,500 homes were built in 2013, as I have said, but this year we will build more than 20,000 homes. That will be the biggest number in a decade. Only 419 social housing homes were built five years ago, but this year we will build more than 6,000 such homes. Next year will be a record year. We will build more social housing homes next year than we have built in any year in the past two decades.

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