John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. There is much talk in these discussions about the generation comprising those aged 25 to 35, about whom I know a lot from a personal perspective as well as a professional and political perspective. The question people in that age group have on their mind - perhaps not all of them at age 25, but it will articulate itself at some stage - is whether they can own their own place. For the current generation, however, particularly those aged 25 to 30, that question has changed to wondering when they can have their own place, never mind buying it, or whether they will always have to share.

I was 26 when my wife and I bought our own property, which was not unusual at the time. In fact, we probably came quite late to owning our own home. That was what most young couples did; they saved for a mortgage and there was time, space and the disposable income to do so. Later, in the early 1990s, mortgage interest rates hit 16% or 17% and we did not go out for approximately four months because there was not a penny to spend. However, home ownership was an aspiration for people. There are areas of my constituency populated by a generation of people for whom one income was sufficient to run a household and pay a mortgage, with one of the partners staying at home. That was more common than not.

Circumstances have changed considerably since then. The idea of a house having a monetary value beyond one's own lifetime, the drive to accumulate property and all of that became big issues. As I said, young people are asking when they will have their own place, whether they will be able to buy a place, whether it will be close to where they live if that is their choice, and how much it will cost. These are questions we have to answer. They are also questions that are easy for Opposition Members to exploit. If I were in their shoes, I might be inclined to exploit them as they do, although we were not like that when we were in opposition. There are significant changes contained in the Housing for All plan, including the ending of SHDs and co-living schemes. A number of the worst policy excess of the past few years are addressed in the plan. However, they are not recognised by anybody in opposition. No credit is ever given to this side of the House. There is no acknowledgement that we on this side of the Chamber want a future for our young people and want them to be able to have their own homes to own or to rent. In fact, it is this objective that motivates me more than anything.

It is easy now that the plan has been presented for some in the Opposition to say they see nothing good in any of it. I recognise it is not prefect and I would be the first to criticise elements of it in the appropriate environment and context. I have done so, but I also make constructive contributions and suggestions. We are facing into a perfect storm in the housing sector, with issues arising in the supply of materials and labour. Of course, those issues will be exploited to argue that there has been a failure to deliver X or Y. I will give way now to my colleague, Deputy Durkan.

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