Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to close this debate. Labour Party Private Members' motions are taking on a familiar pattern. They are getting broad support from the Opposition. In fact, the support was quite effusive from most Opposition spokespeople who opened and closed their contributions with it. In the middle of those contributions is where they get their clips for Facebook and whatever other social media platforms they decide to put their messaging out on. That is the way it is.

However, we know they support it. They support it because this is the right thing to do. Some in opposition do not support it. They have a philosophical view which is contrary to us, in terms of planning. They are entitled to it and are consistent with it, but they are in a very small minority.

We have been bringing this forward for a number of years. The question of why we did not do it in government has been thrown back at us by a number of contributors today. However, we have always tried. Governing during a recession is difficult. Being in government during a unique recession, the worst recession in the history of the State, is especially difficult. The subjective view which was thrown across this House that we have done nothing, or in the view of one Deputy, that we did not build one bloody house, is utterly false.

Spokespeople such as Deputies Ó Broin and O'Callaghan, who were rehearsing their social media video clips in the middle of their contributions, know that. They know Labour did important work on housing. If they do not, it is a level of ignorance which I would not imply; they are both intelligent and experienced. They know we have built houses. Just last night, I received a query on a vaccine from someone who is living in a house the Labour Party supplied the last time we were in government.

When we did have the reigns of housing for a short period of time at the end, we ran through as many Part 8s as county councils were able to do. In Fingal, which I represent, we got a vast number of houses off the ground which came on stream in the past couple of years. Fine Gael Ministers cut the ribbon on them but it was a Labour Minister who delivered them. That is the reality. I have a standing offer to anyone to bring them around to the many estates we built in the short amount of time we had during the worst recession in the State's history.

We have a record which we stand over. The housing assistance payment, HAP, is thrown at us a number of times. The HAP is not a long-term solution but prior to HAP, we had rent supplement. The rent supplement was the biggest poverty trap in the history of this State. If one was on rent supplement, one could not get a job, go out to work, or do anything. One was resigned to a life of poverty. The HAP is not the long-term solution, but it allows people to go out and get a job.

The same councillors for parties which are criticising HAP are the councillors who are on to the housing departments in every county council up and down the country, begging council officials to get tenants onto HAP. There is rank hypocrisy here.

All these measures we brought through is not the full Labour master plan for housing we would like to get through, because we have always been in government with parties ideologically opposed to us. That is the reality. That is where stuff such as the Kenny report has hit the sands, because parties such as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have historically been against it on fundamental ideologically grounds. We have had to operate within that space and do the best we can.

We will take some slings and arrows in the back for the stuff we did not do, but the Opposition also has to tell more sides to the story about the stuff we did do, the houses we did build, the tenancies we did secure and the progress we did make. The Opposition is entitled to its own view but it is not entitled to its own facts on this. I cannot stand here and not say that. We would have been able to do more if the Kenny report had been implemented. That is a fact.

There is broad support for this. The Taoiseach who has entered the Chamber now, said three years ago, as our leader, Deputy Kelly, stated at the start of his contribution, it is morally just to bring in the Kenny report. He said that three years ago. We believe that. He believes that, so let us do it. I ask the Government not to kick the can down 12 months. Let us bring it in now.

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