Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank People Before Profit for the opportunity to discuss rents today. Already put to the pin of their collar, renters struggling with exorbitant rents are now even worse off during this cost-of-living crisis. Families simply cannot afford high rents on top of the increases in the cost of childcare, food and energy. What is the solution to reduce sky-high rents? One solution is to increase the supply of social, affordable purchase and affordable rental homes - public homes on public land.

I listened to the dog whistles from Government Deputies last night, with more guff coming out of the Minister's mouth today about Sinn Féin and others objecting to developments. We are opposed to sweetheart deals with developers for the building of private homes at unaffordable prices on publicly-owned land. This week, South Dublin County Council announced plans for the development of 266 public homes on public land as part of the Clonburris strategic development zone, SDZ. This development in Lucan will be broken into a mix of social, affordable purchase and cost rental homes. While some details relating to affordability need to be ironed out, it is a welcome step forward.

Before the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, gets out his yellow hard hat and shovel for the obligatory photograph, I want to give him some facts. The Clonburris strategic development zone includes 8,500 homes, built on a mixture of private and public land in the Clondalkin and Lucan area. There will be a phased process of construction infrastructure such as schools and transport links. I was the Sinn Féin lead on this development when I was on the council. I tabled a successful motion that would see more than 2,500 public homes be built. This was supported by People Before Profit and other members of the council. Government parties only wanted 850 public homes in this development. The Fianna Fáil party did not support the Clonburris SDZ for 8,500 homes. The Minister of State's party, and a current Fine Gael Deputy, went even further. Not only did she oppose the building of 8,500 homes, but the party went to An Bord Pleanála and delayed the process. It stood alongside developers and NAMA like an unholy trinity, delaying the building of these homes during a housing crisis. When the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, dusts off his hard hat and brings out the shovel for the publicity photograph, I ask the Minister of State to remember that his party and Government colleagues were against these 8,500 homes.

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