Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I hear Deputies on the other side of the House talk about opposition for opposition's sake. It is such nonsense. There are very few Opposition spokespersons who have produced work of the same quality and detail as that of Deputy Ó Broin, with its constructive, realistic and costed alternatives, including in this motion, many policy documents and legislation. The fact is that where there are good sections or proposals in Government legislation, they will be backed. They have been backed, and the record of the Dáil will reflect that. There have been many disastrous proposals. Such proposals will be voted against. Our job is to ensure that the Government will not follow in the footsteps of Governments that produced, probably over 20 years, failed housing policy that has brought us to our current position. Those who talk about opposition for its own sake do not believe it themselves. They do not believe a word of it because they know what Sinn Féin and the people want, namely affordable housing. The criticism is part of a strategy that is misconceived and will not work. By-election candidates talk about trying to be a voice for people who cannot afford a house but Fine Gael has been in government since 2011. There is a new series of "Reeling in the Years" but we would have to go back to the start of it to see when Fine Gael was not in government. Fine Gael has had years to solve this, yet it has representatives standing up railing and saying they will be the voice for people who cannot afford their own homes.

People do not want much sometimes. What they want from the Government is the ability to live a quality life. At the heart of that is having the opportunity to work, obtain qualifications, serve one's time, go to college or otherwise, all with the aspiration of building a life for oneself and one's family. People going out to work today, however, cannot see how they are ever going to reach that. They may not qualify for social housing. The eligibility criteria in this regard are getting tighter all the time. Homeownership is becoming increasingly out of reach, no matter how hard people work. The reality is that the solution is about public homes on public land, and no end of tax breaks for vulture funds or cuckoo funds will crack it. Until the Government brings forward proposals that will work, we will not back them. We are going to back the proposals that do work.

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