Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday's report by the National Economic and Social Council shows that under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, homeownership has gone in one direction, that is, down. The level of homeownership here is now in the bottom one third of the EU. Why is that the case? It is because of the policies that the Tánaiste's party has pursued, which have pushed up house prices. The Central Statistics Office yesterday reported that house prices rose by 8% in the past year. In the Border region they went up by 12% and in the west they went up by 15%, in part because Government policies are driving up house prices.

This is not just the view of Sinn Féin. It is also the view of Davy Stockbrokers, as reported in today's Irish Independent. An entire generation of young people are locked out of homeownership because of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael policies. Does the Tánaiste accept that the Government is making homeownership harder? Does he agree with the assessment of Davy Stockbrokers that the Government's policies are pushing up house prices? When will the Government deliver homes at a reasonable price that people can afford?

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