Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Solidarity-People Before Profit has voted against every major piece of constructive housing legislation brought forward by the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and has produced no serious alternatives. Its Members voted against the first ever Affordable Housing Bill, the Land Development Agency Bill, which aimed to build social and affordable houses on State land, and against important planning legislation. They opposed the help-to-buy scheme, the first home scheme and the vacancy grant scheme. The list is endless. That party should give the people more credit. The electorate will not be fooled by its baseless sloganeering and populism.

We are here today when we could be spending a great deal more important time bringing forward necessary legislation. I support the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, as I know do all of my colleagues on this side of the House, and I thank him for the endless and tireless work he is doing.

It is about time that we got real and realised houses are being built throughout the country. I endorse the motion.

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