Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Government has always accepted that meeting the housing needs of our society is a critical challenge that we must rise to, not just for our society but for the families, households and tenants who are all affected by the challenge of not enough homes being available to buy and rents not being affordable. We accept this is a challenge to which we must rise and make progress on. It is not just our language that will make a difference, but our efforts. The efforts are showing clear signs of supplying improving. It is only with more homes being built that we have the ability over time to see rents change and to make progress on affordability. While I appreciate at all times the need for us to do more to get more homes built as quickly as we can, the figures in regard to supply are equally clear. There have been 22,000 homes completed in our country over the past 12 months and 35,000 homes commenced. For 2021, 43,000 have received planning permission. They are just overall macro figures regarding what is happening in our economy, that is homes being built, houses and apartments, which are all about providing the additional supply which will make a difference to our country being able to ensure that we are delivering the homes that are needed for our people at the price levels we know are affordable. We know we have to make more progress and do more. That is why we have Housing for All. I reject entirely the image and the tone that Deputy Doherty has suggested here to the House in regard to the intentions of this Government. This Government is about delivering more homes for more people at different prices to meet the many needs we know exist within our society and our economy.

Housing for All involves spending of up to €4 billion per year to deliver the homes we know are needed, and yes, the Government believes that private supply has a role to play in delivering homes that are available to purchase for those who can afford to purchase them. We also believe social, affordable and cost-rental homes are an equally necessary part of the solution that has to be delivered. The progress we are looking to make on that is clear to see in the thousands of homes that are now being built throughout the country for social and public use. I can see it across the city of Dublin. In Dominick Street and in O’Devaney Gardens I can see hundreds of homes now being delivered in that part of our capital city alone to respond to the housing needs that the Government knows are there. That is why we have in Housing for All a plan that is not just looking to deliver this number of homes this year but is looking to deliver nearly 29,000 for next year and 30,000 homes per year for the years after that. Yes, all of us in government accept the need to make more progress. We understand the anxiety, stress and difficulty that this is causing to households all over our country. The figures are there in the more homes that are being completed, the more planning permissions that are coming through and the more commencements that are now underway underpinned by this Government through local authorities all over the length and breadth of our country building thousands of homes for public and social use to respond to the need that the Government accepts is there.

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