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

We now have the highest number of commencements on record. We have the highest number of planning permissions in over a decade. We have the highest number of completions in over a decade. We have established a high-level housing delivery group. Unfortunately, in the past two years we have been hit by Covid first, with two lockdowns, and now by a war on Ukraine, which is affecting commodity prices, in particular the prices of steel and timber, and, in turn, causing inflation. House construction has gone down slightly, according to the May BNP-Paribas report, but the predominance of the decline was actually in other sectors, not housing. We have increased the capacity of the industry in respect of skills, with a 40% increase in construction apprenticeships. We have expanded the help-to-buy scheme and set up the new First Home shared equity scheme. More than 1,000 people have already applied. Deputies opposite attack such schemes, yet the people are voting with their feet in applying to them because they find them useful.

We have introduced a new €30,000 grant for vacant properties. We have introduced a new subsidy to activate apartment building in city centres for owner-occupiers. We have expanded the tenant purchase scheme to include pensioners. We are building the first affordable homes in over a generation through the local authorities. We have passed the first ever Affordable Housing Act. We have revamped the Land Development Agency to focus on affordable homes and put the agency on a statutory basis. We have put in place the first ever cost rental units in the history of the State. We have banned co-living. We have capped rent increases and strengthened tenants' protections. We have enhanced the local authority home loan. We have reduced interest rates for State-backed mortgages to make it easier for single people to avail of such mortgages. We have launched the largest State-led social housing building programme ever. We have slashed red tape with a new single-stage development approval process for outlays of up to €6 million to accelerate social housing delivery. We have expanded the repair and leasing scheme from 40,000 to 60,000 to bring vacant properties into use. We have brought more than 6,000 voids back into use. We have delivered in excess of 700 Housing First tenancies. We have launched a new housing strategy for disabled people to run from 2022 to 2027. We have provided €81 million in funding for housing adaptation grants for older people. We have established the national homeless action committee. We have secured a local government rates waiver of more than €1 billion to support local businesses and services. We have launched €1.3 billion in urban regeneration funding for towns and city centres, which will help house construction infrastructurally. There is a €50 million water investment scheme for rural towns and villages. There is a €61 million fire services capital programme.

There has been a lot of action and work. Objectively, no matter the views of Deputies opposite, they cannot dismiss the level of activity in the past two years. Notwithstanding the Covid pandemic and the war, we will do everything we possibly can.

Furthermore, in 2021 about 20,400 houses were built. Some 12,600 of those were bought by households in the private sector; 5,200 were social housing. Therefore, the social houses and households generally accounted for 87% of the total, with 2,600 classed as others. Sometimes, listening to the debate in this House, one would imagine that the others accounted for the 87% instead of 2,600 and not realise the fact that the vast bulk of houses built last year went to private households or to social housing. There has been a lack of balance in the narrative surrounding housing and in the debate, with the suggestion that this is all investment funds and so on. It is not at all. It is the same this year. However, it suits politically and suits the sound bite environment in which we live in contemporary politics to create the narrative and the story that housing policy is limited to looking after vulture funds and so on, as Deputy Boyd Barrett and Deputy Murphy hammer out every day. In fact, 87% of all housing completed last year went to a combination of private households and social households. That is a fact. We are looking at a similar situation in 2022. We need balance and objectivity in the debate, which we are not getting.

As for the issue in education, there is no doubt rents are too high. We need more and more supply across the board. By the way, the State is now the biggest actor in housing supply. There is no question about that. Deputy Boyd Barrett and Deputy Murphy can nod all they like. Whether social housing, affordable housing through local authorities, cost rental or State involvement in respect of the First Home scheme, the State through the Government is the biggest actor in housing, not funds and not anybody else.

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