Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have heard people ask how to get rent to decrease and meet demand. How do you meet demand? The Minister of State's own party leader spoke about meeting demand. Deputy Michael Collins spoke of how Deputy Varadkar wants to build 40,000 houses a year. There is a lack of materials now, and it is a worldwide problem, but he will still build 40,000 houses a year. I think it may be out of Lego he will build those houses. The Government looks like a comedy show, the way it comes out with these facts and figures, which only the Government itself seems to believe.

Deputy Eamon Ryan talks about developing the houses in the towns, villages and cities so that everyone can live over the shop. I have said from the start, however, that the Government has failed to invest in infrastructure. If I want to build over the shop in Oola, Askeaton, Dromcollogher or any similar town or village in County Limerick, I cannot do that because raw sewage is going into rivers because the existing system does not have the capacity. The Government says is it will upgrade the existing system but it will not allow extra capacity. From one side of its mouth the Government says "let's do this" and is on RTÉ saying it will build the houses and everyone in Ireland will be sorted, but here is a reality check: it cannot do it because the capacity is not there. The water supply is not there, nor is the sewerage capacity. If the basics are not there, you cannot do what the Government wants to do. It got caught with its pants down recently when a vulture fund came in and bought up all the houses, and local authorities in Dublin and throughout the country could not compete with it. The Government does not have a clue about reality. It is a reality check it wants and I hope it gets it at the next election because it will deserve everything coming to it.

See this speech in context