Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Just to remind the Deputy, his parliamentary question does not relate to this at all. The question he tabled makes no reference to what he has raised this morning but I am quite happy to answer because we made the right decision. It was a difficult decision but one that is in the best public interest in the medium term. That is what one has to do in government. One cannot just make populist decisions. One must make decisions that are right, even if they are difficult.

I have outlined very clearly the additional capacity and the additional builds that we provided in the fourth quarter of last year. Also, the Government decision of this week permits the ramping up and acceleration of purchases with tenantsin situ, with another 1,500 homes for people in receipt of the housing assistance payment, HAP, or on the rental accommodation scheme, RAS, who have received notices to quit. There will be accelerated delivery in that space and should we reach that target of 1,500, more capital will be provided to do more.

On affordable housing, as the Deputy knows, we have more than 1,150 first home scheme, FHS, approvals. These are real people and real homes. FHS is a scheme that Deputy Ó Broin railed against and opposed. We have also approved more than 40 schemes across the country through the local authorities which will provide 2,100 affordable homes for people to purchase because we believe in home ownership.

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