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

If I may, a Cheann Comhairle, I would like to take the opportunity briefly to wish Deputy McDonald and all Deputies in the House a very happy festive season and a safe one. This might be my last opportunity to speak. I wish a happy Christmas to the Ceann Comhairle and his team, the superintendent, the head ushers and the entire team here who have kept our national Parliament operational during a global pandemic, a once-in-a-century event. The voice of Parliament is central to our parliamentary democracy. I genuinely want to thank all of the staff and all of the team here for enabling it to happen - albeit in the convention centre as well as the Dáil - under really significant restrictions for them, including putting their own health at risk in terms of the cramped conditions in Leinster House, which was never built for a pandemic. I just want to thank all and sundry for that help and assistance to enable Parliament to operate. I wish everyone, with their families, a safe, peaceful and happy Christmas.

On housing, I say to Deputy McDonald that Fianna Fáil has hit the ground running and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has hit the ground running. In the very first month, in the July stimulus, for example, funding was provided to being back 2,500 voids. These were houses that were in disrepair within local authority ownership. We said that we were not going to waste a moment and that we would give money and funding to local authorities. That has worked and those 2,500 houses will be occupied by the end of this year. There has been tremendous progress in regard to that specific initiative alone. The Minister has exemplified this practical and get-down-to-work approach.

In regard to the budget itself, the largest ever budget for housing in the history of the State has been provided. The largest and most ambitious social housing programme in the history of the State has been provided for. Some 12,750 social houses will be provided next year. That is separate from the housing assistance payment, HAP, process. A total of 9,500 of the social houses will be new builds, with the remainder in terms of leasing. That is a very significant provision.

Affordable rental has been committed to and it is now going to happen. The first will be Enniskerry, which was conceived of many years ago and is now coming on stream. Deputy Kelly would have been piloting it at the time. It is coming on stream now, with others. In fairness to the Minister, he has got it going and it will happen. Sinn Féin has voted against affordable housing in this Dáil on numerous occasions. It voted against the first-time buyer's grant, for example. A total of 19,500 people have benefited from the help-to-buy scheme or the first-time buyer's grant. This has enabled them to afford to buy houses. The Deputy voted against that every time. Her party consistently voted against it. Under its scheme, any couple earning over €75,000 would be out of the equation and would not be able to participate in the proposals it put forward.

The Land Development Agency legislation will be brought to the Government very shortly. The Minister has worked very hard to develop the shared equity scheme, and fair play to him. The draft heads of the Bill for that scheme are ready as well. The Deputy also mentioned HAP, which has been with us for nearly a decade now. The bottom line is that this budget had to provide for additionality in terms of the HAP scheme in order to provide housing for people. The Deputy voted against that and has consistently done so. If her vote had succeeded, it would only have exacerbated the plight of the housing crisis for many people out there who need assistance and who need help. The Government has provided up to €3.3 billion in this budget to enable us to deal with all aspects of the housing problem. In particular, in regard to homelessness, there has been a reduction in homelessness figures, down to 8,600 compared with more than 10,400 last year.

That number will fall further by the end of the year. Critically, there have been 6,000 exits from homelessness this year. That is considerable movement out of homelessness.

Finally, I refer to the Planning and Development Bill 2020. Perhaps the Deputy can confirm she will vote for it this evening. This will extend provisions to protect tenants from homelessness until next April. That is important legislation. The Minister has been active across the board. He has worked with all the NGOs and approved housing bodies on the homelessness question. I have said to the homelessness and housing sectors, particularly the approved housing bodies and local authorities, that we will deliver. We want them to improve their capacity. The real challenge facing our housing efforts next year will be the capacity to build houses.

See this speech in context