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

I agree with the broad principle that Airbnb and short-term lettings are injurious to the housing market. Housing, as I have said consistently, is the number one issue. It is the biggest social crisis facing the country. We need to deal with it with all of the weapons at our disposal. That is what Housing for All is and is what the delivery mechanism at the heart of Government is about. It involves looking at every single opportunity to create housing supply and to get houses built. That may mean the rezoning of lands or the utilisation of State agency or local authority land. It means compact growth on old industrial sites within cities. All of that is clearly needed. There are a variety of incentives there and first-time buyers have a range of supports now through help-to-buy and the shared equity facility which will come on stream. The issue is that we need to get more houses built and the local authorities need to enforce and to engage on that.

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