Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the positive news that progress is being made on the matter and that the commission will be active in September. A couple of months ago the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage had a good engagement with Home for Good. We fully understand the complexity of changing the Constitution. Later today, we will debate the Affordable Housing Bill 2021. I hope that it will be passed and that we will also soon pass the Land Development Agency Bill, which will see a large-scale roll-out of affordable housing, social housing and, importantly, cost-rental housing. I welcome the Minister's comments this morning on the housing for all strategy and the targets and objectives to be set in that regard, as well as the record budget that this Government has set aside for the delivery of that much-needed affordable housing. The referendum on the right to housing would add to the suite of measures that the Government is introducing to provide housing and it makes sense that it would be enshrined in the Constitution by way of legislation as soon as possible.

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