Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was not trying to score any political points. I was just stating the facts of the Social Democrats position and of what we are bringing forward as a Government on affordability measures because we support home ownership, social housing and social housing delivery. We have a plan that is fully funded on a multi-annual basis to do that and that plan is starting to take hold. There is no question that we will turn this around in a year or two but the plan is starting to take hold. We are seeing direct build affordable homes in the Deputy's county of Fingal, in Cork and right across the country, hundreds of which will be delivered this year. Hundreds more cost rental homes will be delivered and the first home shared equity schemes will begin, which will be a significant measure to help those who need that assistance from the State by bridging the affordability gap for them. The planning measures we have brought forward are working and I have just given the Deputy the facts on that. Some 16,000 new planning permissions have been granted with the condition that the homes cannot be sold to funds. Let us be realistic when the Deputy talks about this revelation. We are talking about 0.7% of homes that were sold over the last 12 months. Let us not try to make an issue that does not exist. We support home ownership and we need supply across all areas, including rental, social, affordable and private, and that is what we are determined to do.

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