Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Be very careful not to categorise a target as a limit on ambition. Of course, we want to smash those targets. All of us in this House want our younger people to be able to get a home and raise a family. This concern is not an exclusive commodity. It belongs to everyone. We are committed to doing everything we can.

We had a target last year of 24,600 houses. An hour ago, the CSO came out with the figures for last year. The figure was not 24,600; it was 29,851. This is way higher and I would like it to go even higher because we have a real problem that we must address but we should be honest and accurate about what is happening.

The report from the Housing Commission was commissioned by the Government. We asked for it. We are the people who brought forward that analysis. The commission will presents its work in July as part of getting the analysis right to get the solutions right. We will need to do more and go further and higher because more people are coming into the country than were expected. The commission's analysis relates to 2050 while the Housing for All targets relate to 2030 so the Deputy needs to be careful that he is not comparing apples and oranges. Of course we must go higher than that 33,000 limit. The question is how do we do it and the quality of the housing. This is about housing in the right place. It ain't just a numbers game. We need to make sure we follow through on the national planning framework so we build new communities with high-quality housing. This is important along with the numbers.

One of the key vehicles for delivering it is the Land Development Agency because the State will have to take a bigger role. As I understand it, Sinn Féin opposed the Land Development Agency and would get rid of it. This would be a mistake because the Land Development Agency provides a mechanism whereby we can use public land to develop cost-rental housing that is in the right place and is high-quality and lower-cost with a saving of 30%. Sinn Féin would throw that away straightaway if it was in Government. I fear what this would do to the delivery of housing numbers. Deputy Ó Broin is nodding. He agrees Sinn Féin would get rid of the Land Development Agency. How then could you get access to and use lands in Dublin Port or at Heuston Station?

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