Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The lack of housing supply across the board remains a major crisis in our society. As a result of that, I have chaired a number of housing Cabinet subcommittees, all designed to try to break up the bottlenecks and move things on as fast as we possibly can both legislatively and in terms of various projects. From the July stimulus onwards, for example, we have moved very quickly to get up to 2,500 voids back into a habitable condition prior to the end of this year. That has gone very well.

Overall, as the Deputy knows, budget 2021 provided for an unprecedented level of funding to housing problems next year, with approximately €3.3 billion available for housing delivery in 2021. That will deliver 12,750 new social homes next year. Of that, a record 9,500 will be new build homes. A total of 2,450 homes will be delivered through a range of lease schemes, including repair and lease, mortgage-to-rent and enhanced leasing while a further 15,800 households will be supported through HAP and the rental accommodation scheme, RAS.

Regarding the specific leasing scheme that the Deputy has identified, I will check that out. We have asked the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and I have asked the Minister - he is doing this - to look at every available option in the short term to acquire housing but, predominantly, to build. This is being done to get homelessness down first of all. In the context of Covid, with properties becoming available in different ways, there is an opportunity to, for example, acquire properties in the short term for single people who are homeless. That will help us to eat into the waiting list for homeless people. The Minister has gone all out with the various agencies and his Department's unit to do that. There is also social housing.

Then there is affordable housing. Significant funding has been allocated for affordable housing measures, including the shared equity scheme, the cost-rental equity loan facility, the serviced sites initiative and so forth.

One of the biggest challenges we have is capacity to deliver. That goes right through planning, right through development. I must honestly say that there will be many different schemes and many different approaches. It will not be one-size-fits-all. There is no silver bullet in terms of one particular model that will solve all of our housing problems. In my view, what is required is a multifaceted approach and different models of providing housing. I was at a Co-operative Housing Ireland estate on Monday, a fantastic scheme of 60 plus houses that it developed - they are social housing - in Carrigaline. It was supported through the capital advance leasing facility, CALF, financial system.

The point is that we will have to work at all levels. The projects that are in the pipeline, ready to go and shovel ready should be facilitated by counties up and down the country. Supply is the issue.

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