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

We are building substantially more social homes through approved social housing bodies and local authorities. We are doing everything we can to increase the number of social homes, primarily through house building, with some through acquisitions and some through leasing in respect of immediate urgency around homelessness, which we want to prevent. The State is the biggest actor in housing now. Go through all the schemes and it will be seen that the Government is bridging the viability gap. This is why Croí Cónaithe schemes are in place for towns and cities and brownfield developments. The State is involved in the first home scheme for first-time buyers, which has a shared equity dimension to it. There is also the help-to-buy scheme, cost rental, etc. These are all new developments and have been brought about by the Minister through the legislation he has put in place. He has been very active during the last two years. He has also brought in many protections for tenants.

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