Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First of all, I reject the assertions of the Deputy in terms of the essence of this Government's housing policy, which is very much focused on affordable homes, contrary to the position of the party opposite on affordable housing in recent years because it has consistently opposed home ownership. It has voted against every affordability measure at every turn. In particular, it opposed the help-to-buy scheme that has helped 22,000 people to get onto the property market. It opposed more than 6,000 homes in Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council. Right across the board, it has opposed projects that had significant affordable components in those particular schemes.

From the perspective of the Government, we were not in government in 2018. We have been in government for 15 months and during those 15 months there have been two significant lockdowns. That has impacted in terms of house construction, but the Minister has spent that time putting in a legislative foundation in terms of the affordability Bill and other measures to ensure there are a number of schemes, which he has resourced - they are resourced in the Housing for All strategy - that will make thousands of affordable homes available in the coming years. State intervention will be provided for up to 36,000 affordable purchase homes in the context of that plan. That is in addition to 90,000 social homes and up to 18,000 cost rental homes. These are clear targets in the Housing for All strategy. That is backed up by €4 billion per annum in Government resources and has been approved by the Government.

On the legislative front, the Minister has put in the legislative underpinning for affordable homes. He has engaged with the local authorities on a local authority-led scheme and approach in terms of affordable homes and in terms of providing the necessary finance and supports to approved social housing bodies, which the Deputy referenced in her comments. I found that comment striking because the opposite is the case. We are resourcing the approved housing bodies very significantly in terms of their particular objective on the social housing front.

That initiative in 2018 did not lead to affordable home provision. We were not in an executive position to determine that or deliver it, but we are now and I am very focused on delivering on the commitments within the Housing for All strategy now that we are emerging from Covid-19 and progress is being made on a number of programmes. The first affordable homes will be developed in Boherboy in Cork this year and the engagement has happened with local authorities. The reform of the serviced sites initiative scheme is one example of that and there are a range of other measures, such as the legislation in terms of the delivery mechanisms that will be required to get affordable homes built in this country and to enable people to afford the cost of houses.

Níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil béim faoi leith ag an Aire ar thithe a chur ar fáil do dhaoine ionas go mbeidh siad in ann iad a cheannach ar phraghas réasúnta. Sin atá i gcroí lár pholasaithe an Rialtais ó thaobh chúrsaí tithíochta de. Beimid ag déanamh gach aon iarracht i bhfad níos mó tithe a thógáil i mbliana agus an bhliain seo chugainn ná mar a bhíomar in ann a dhéanamh le linn na paindéime. Níl aon amhras ach go raibh drochthionchar ag an víreas corónach ar an méid tithe a bhíomar in ann a thógáil i mbliana ach tá feabhas ag teacht ar an scéal lá ina dhiaidh lae.

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