Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister. It is about delivery. In fact, in this case it is about the lack of delivery. What I am hearing from renters or those aspiring to own a home but cannot do so, and indeed from people who are seeking to build homes to deliver on housing, is that there is a lack of delivery and urgency in delivery by Government. Certainly, very welcome measures have been announced by Government. However, what is so frustrating for people is that we have not seen the impact of those measures. There has been no outcome in terms of the supply of homes available to people who need them now. Each number on the homeless list represents a person who is looking for a home, but who cannot currently be housed and has not yet felt the impact of housing policies that have been announced. We have not seen the urgency and delivery of policies. We, in Labour, have sought to put forward constructive measures, such as our renters' rights Bill and Senator Moynihan's idea of a rent-to-buy scheme to convert rent paid in a property over three years into a deposit for a property for individuals. The measures we have proposed are constructive. We brought forward a homeless families Bill to prevent the risk of child poverty and child homelessness. We need to see more concerted action. We need delivery and outcomes from Government on this.

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