Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have disagreed on a lot but I think we can all agree that for many, house prices are unaffordable, rents are too high and an unacceptable number of people are in temporary accommodation. However, I rise to my feet to support the Minister because I believe he is leading the charge to address the housing crisis. As Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, I have had the opportunity to see him and his team at work over the past two years.

In February 2020, when many new Members of this House left behind our role as councillors, those in all parties and none were frustrated by a decade of under-supply. We could see the problem getting worse before it might get better. Some in the House put their party first ahead of the emergency and resigned themselves to the comfort of Opposition but there were many of us who were hungry to see change and to do things differently. There has been change - real change - and let me tell you how.

Previously, as councillors, we had two limited choices. We could build a low number of homes with low income limits, low budgets and a low number of staff or we could give that public land away to developers with no certainty regarding delivery or supply. They were unacceptable choices. With a new Minister and Government, all that has changed and we have a radically different housing plan that leads with public supply. Councillors the length and breadth of the country on public sites have greater budgets and more staff and can build more homes that are available to more people. Those councillors can build below-cost affordable purchase and below-cost secure and affordable rental such as we see in many European cities. They can partner with approved housing bodies and the Land Development Agency secure in the knowledge that there are multi-annual budgets. They can build 100% public housing on public land where that is needed.

They can buy more land for future development, tackle vacancy and dereliction, identify unutilised zoned land and tax it. Even on the sites they do not own, they can protect new homes for owner-occupiers and impose a new stricter obligation for social and affordable housing. While this and other supply measures come on stream, we have put in place protections and supports, including eviction bans, rent caps, deposit caps, rent credits, and we have continued the help to buy scheme and introduced the first home scheme. In the face of these solutions, when presented with the opportunity to solve the housing emergency, some in this House put their party first and voted against these measures. They voted against the Land Development Agency Bill, the Affordable Housing Bill and the budgets that funded them. We have empowered councils to help solve the housing crisis. We have established and capitalised a national Land Development Agency, a housing body that will deliver homes that will rival anything in the history of this State. For those listening outside this House, who do not have a home, I know all this seems like white noise. I want those people to know that change is happening. It is happening on the 25 public housing sites in my constituency alone. Planning is turning into building sites. Soon, those building sites will turn into homes for the people. We are not motivated by any investor or their dividends; we are motivated only by the people and their housing needs. I promise that this Government and the Minister have the ambition to solve this crisis. We have the money and the models, and we are building momentum.

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