Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

All we will be doing this year and next is passing the buck. These young people need hope. There are houses for sale in my home town of Dundalk for between €200,000 and €270,000. These people are working hard and are putting their whole lives on hold to try to get a family home. I am not going to be like Sinn Féin and engage in a blame game over this. The Government has asked for solutions and I am suggesting one. I want this Government to commit to helping these families to get a home. These young families are coming to my constituency office on a regular basis. They are working morning, noon and night and doing shift work. These are working class people who get up early in the morning to go to work and they need help. What am I to say to them? Am I to tell them "No"? They can afford to pay their rent but they cannot afford to also gather the money for a deposit. They can show that they could pay back a mortgage. I am seeking a commitment from this Government.

I ask it to sit down with the Central Bank and put a bit of pressure on it. These people are stuck in the middle. They cannot get on the council list because they earn too much. Realistically, they are going for houses that a lot of work has to be done on. It is their families, friends and relations who will give them a hand with that work. They want something to start with. I ask the Tánaiste not to tell me that something will happen next year or the year after. I am looking for a commitment that the Government will consider this virtual deposit to help these families get the deposit and get on the ladder for the first time.

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