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

The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, through the Housing for All strategy, has given the most comprehensive and substantive housing programme which will lead to increased supply. The bottom line is the most fundamental way we can ease pressures on rent - there is no question of there being pressures on renters - and the most effective way to deal with it is to increase supply. We had two lockdowns since the commencement of Covid. That hit supply in 2020. It has hit supply in 2021, although we are making a significant comeback on commencements. Commencement notice data showed September commencements increased by 48% on August figures. In the year to September 2021, 30, 519 residential units were commenced, which is up 40% year on year, when compared to the same period to September 2020. Significant momentum is building up in the house construction sector, which we need to get to the average of 33,000 completions per annum. That is a central part of Housing for All.

That will involve the State intervening, as provided for in budget 2021, for affordable housing and cost rental homes to be delivered, of which up to 1,580 are to be delivered next year by approved local housing bodies, local authorities and the Land Development Agency. More than 1,100 social housing homes are to be provided. The emphasis of Government policy is to increase supply across the board, in social, affordable and cost rental housing and to bring back voids, which we have done at an unprecedented rate in the past 18 months. There is no question of the number of voids which have been brought back and the funding given to local authorities to create additional homes in the social sphere, along with working with the approved housing bodies in terms of homelessness and new social housing builds.

In the interim, five pieces of legislation have already passed on protecting security of tenure for tenants and restricting rent increases. Up to quite recently inflation was below 1%. However, inflation has gone up globally so the Minister will now provide for a maximum limit of 2% increases in rent or inflation, whichever is the lower and for an unlimited duration in terms of tenancies. Substantial protection of tenants has been realised by the Minister through a variety of legislation he has passed. Fundamentally, supply is the key and all of us in this House have a responsibility to do everything we possibly can to facilitate supply of housing.

Too many schemes are being left there and deliberated upon by councils, schemes as large as 750 houses in Dublin City Council. It seems they are going on forever. I cannot reconcile all of the angst and anger in here about housing and party colleagues of Deputy McDonald and others, on Dublin City Council, saying no to substantial housing projects because of their mixed nature, be it affordable or some private and some social. It is just not good enough and cannot be sustained. We need to push on ahead, get projects delivered and housing provided for people because that is the most effective way to deal with the rent issue, in addition to the restrictive measures the Minister has and will introduce on the 2% maximum limit.

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