Dáil debates

Wednesday, 29 September 2021

Housing for All: Statements (Resumed)

 

2:57 pm

Photo of Alan FarrellAlan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing my time with Deputy Griffin.

I welcome the introduction of the Housing for All plan and the opportunity to debate it in the House. Building on the work produced through Rebuilding Ireland, this proposal will make a significant difference for people in society, benefiting those in need of social homes, renters, older people and those seeking to purchase their first home. Throughout this debate, however, both yesterday and today, we have heard numerous contributions from members of Sinn Féin and the left and we will hear more before it ends. Unfortunately, as we have all become used to, Sinn Féin and the left are interested only in getting a sound bite, a headline in tomorrow's newspapers or a clip for YouTube. They will continue to use the issue of housing to bait and stoke frustration on social media. They will do all these things while contributing nothing to the resolution of the housing crisis.

Sinn Féin and the left have consistently approached the housing crisis in a hypocritical way. Their local councillors have worked on projects such as that in Oscar Traynor Road, not too far from where I live in north Dublin, and that in O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin city centre, only to withdraw their support at the final moment, preventing hundreds of people from getting a place to call home. In my constituency, Dublin Fingal, as recently of May of this year, Sinn Féin councillors voted against a proposal that would have seen 1,200 homes built in Donabate, providing 20% social housing and 20% affordable housing, and with a guaranteed price point between €250,000 and €270,000. Thankfully, this vote was carried despite their opposition. More recently, as they have recognised the hypocrisy of their actions, a pattern of abstention from votes has emerged. Just this month, members on South Dublin County Council abstained from voting on a project that would have seen 620 homes delivered in Tallaght.

The evidence is clear and damning. Sinn Féin has made no genuine attempt to resolve the housing crisis, regardless of books published. Instead, it has chosen to play on people's fears and worries and, in doing so, seeks to profit politically. This is the kind of disingenuous populist approach that serves only to hurt the very people the party purports to want to help. Behind every one of these figures are real people and families, our friends and relatives, and getting the keys to their own home is a life-changing experience that improves the lives of individuals, their children and their community.

To be clear, I do not claim that Fine Gael has got everything right when it comes to housing, but no one can say we have not prioritised the issue. Housing has been treated as a core Government policy since 2015 and this Government is no different. No Opposition party in this House has a monopoly on the desire to fix the problem.

I am in regular contact with constituents who need housing assistance, as I am sure all Members are. Fine Gael has been, and will remain, committed to solving the problem and will not relent until the opportunity of home ownership is attainable for all people in Ireland. While in government, Fine Gael has introduced numerous policies that have made a profound difference to tens of thousands of people across Ireland. Under Rebuilding Ireland, almost 85,000 new homes were built, and a plan also delivered 34,000 social homes, making a real difference to all those who benefited from this implemented policy. Last year, over 20,000 homes were completed, despite the impact of Covid-19 and the implications it presented for the sector. The help-to-buy scheme has helped 22,000 first-time buyers to achieve their goal of owning their own home. Rent pressure zones have been introduced to protect renters from uncapped increases in rent. The Rebuilding Ireland home loan has loaned €354 million, helping almost 2,100 people to buy a home.

There have been many more examples of progress in the housing sector, and we will continue to build on these schemes. These are facts that nobody can deny. Housing for All will build on the progress we have seen in recent years and represents the biggest investment in housing in the history of the State, committing €20 billion over the next five years. This is an unprecedented level of investment and shows the Government's commitment to addressing this problem.

The plan will also see the Land Development Agency, LDA, take on a significant role in the use of public lands. The LDA faced opposition from Members of the House, but it will be a game changer in the housing crisis. The LDA will also allow the State to be a vital player in the housing market and will allow the State to access land at a discount, to ensure that affordable housing can be delivered to all people across Ireland. Housing for All will see an average of 33,000 homes delivered each year for the next decade. It will also see 10,000 social homes delivered every year until 2030. At least 4,000 affordable purchase homes will be provided each year, which will benefit families, couples and single people. Moreover, new taxes will be introduced on vacant homes to incentivise properties to be returned to the market. It is my hope that we will see plans properly resourced and carried out with additional community needs such as schools, playgrounds, local community amenities and transport links that will contribute to avoiding the mistakes of the past.

If the Opposition parties are truly committed to solving the housing crisis, it is time to stop the attention-grabbing stunts and statements, to work with the Government to ramp up delivery in the housing sector and to provide solutions, not obstacles, to the problem. That includes their councillors. This plan can, and will, help hundreds of thousands of people in the coming years. It is costed and deliverable. At its core is a belief that the State should support the delivery of homes to as many people as possible, using any and all means available to it. We are far more concerned about delivering on this plan than delivering sound bites.

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