Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

With all the figures, plans and language, if we are to boil this down we have record house prices, record rents and record homelessness. We are at the worst point so far of the housing crisis over the past ten years. Last year the Government missed its target by 5,000. It had a target of 28,000 builds and it built 23,000. This year's target is smaller than last year's target of 28,000 builds. We now have a situation whereby the number of commencements, which are the likely houses for the coming years, is down. We are in a very scary place. The pressure coming on the system is absolutely horrendous as a result of everything going in the wrong direction on this. We need to get to a situation whereby small builders throughout the country can build. They cannot build under the current system of inflation as the Minister mentioned. I suggest that we reduce the taxation that exists in the construction industry and allow to mitigate against the cost. We should reduce the size of the contracts being offered by the Government at present. In recent times Sisk obtained the contract for the foundations of the new modular homes being built. It is contacting builders at present to subcontract the work. These are builders who should have been able to pitch for these contracts on a smaller scale. This creates a layer of costs in the system that is of no benefit to citizens.

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