Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is looking at the limits issue. There are areas, particularly in the capital, where rental prices are significantly higher than HAP can support. I recognise this. It is an issue that is being looked at. To correct the record, it was not policy, either for me or my predecessor, to not build large numbers of social housing homes. It was the opposite, in fact. It was about ramping up as quickly as we possibly could and spending billions of euro in taxpayers' money to do so.

That has taken years to deliver and continues to do so. We are now spending €4 billion as opposed to €2 billion. It is important that we do not start rewriting history here in terms of what happened pre-2011 and where this country was and what it could afford to do.

The issues the Deputy raised in respect of thresholds and ceilings have some validity but the truth is that these support programmes for leasing and rental are necessary while we dramatically increase social and affordable housing stock, which we will do in the years ahead.

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