Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Rebuilding Ireland was launched in July 2016. Three and a half years later, are things really any better? Homelessness is up by 67% and child homelessness has increased by a shocking 81%. The latest homeless figures released today indicate yet another significant rise and although the Minister may claim there has been a decrease in rough sleeping, it is likely that this is the result of a change of methodology on last year's count.

Social housing output remains glacial. Just over 7,000 real social homes were added to the stock in 2018. In the same year, more than 14,000 households went on council waiting lists. The Minister says that those lists are decreasing but that is because more people are being moved into housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancies rather than into real social homes. Meanwhile, private sector output is way behind target. Rebuilding Ireland promised to ensure that an average of 25,000 homes are produced every year in the period to 2021 but nothing close to this has been achieved and we are 30% behind target. With output low, rents and house prices continue to soar. An entire generation has been locked out of renting or buying their own homes.

By every measure, Rebuilding Ireland has failed and yet the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, continues to defend the indefensible. He continues to claim that his plan is working and that alone is reason for him to go. Passing this motion tonight would force the Government to accept that Rebuilding Ireland has failed and it would open the way for a real change in housing policy, allowing us double capital investment in public housing on public land, freeze rents and put money back in renters' pockets. This could deliver genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy while protecting tenants and reducing homelessness.

Tonight, Deputies have a clear choice. They can choose to stand with thousands of homeless children and the hundreds of thousands of people in real housing need or they can stand with the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and his Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, and Rebuilding Ireland. I know where I stand.

See this speech in context