Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the Deputy examines the legislation on the HAP, she will see that it says that once people are in receipt of the payment, their housing needs are deemed to be met, they are taken off the housing list and can only be on the transfer list. That is legislation that we did together in government. I absolutely agree that HAP is not a long-term solution, and I am absolutely in favour of greater State intervention in the housing market. The Deputy may not believe that is the case, but that is the case. I am not sure that there has ever been more State intervention in the housing market than there is now. Roughly 28,000 homes will be built this year. I would say half of them are happening because of some form of State intervention, whether it is through the social housing programme. More social housing is being provided this year than probably in any year in the history of the State through various different means. Cost rental is a new form of public housing that is being provided for the first time. Other schemes include the affordable housing schemes and the help to buy scheme. If the Deputy went through those 28,000 she would see that in some form or another, State intervention is helping or causing those homes to be built. We will step that up next year and the year after; I guarantee the Deputy that.

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