Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a truth never acknowledged, but I am going to say it. Every party in this House seems to believe the housing crisis was terribly mismanaged, except for the periods when they were in government. It is remarkably convenient, but not coherent. No wonder Sinn Féin is so happy. It gets to be consistent and direct its ire at everyone, including the Labour Party. Of course, if one mentions the housing crisis in the North, one is shouted down. It does not want voters to know what 20 years of on-and-off Sinn Féin government, replete with Sinn Féin housing, finance and deputy First Ministers really looks like, and it certainly does not want anyone to report on it.

Alas, extending the moratorium for a few more months or until the end of January, March or April or another year or two would have been the easier political decision to make. It would have been the path of least resistance, as one journalist described it. However, it would not have been the right one. It would have made homelessness worse, just at a later point. That is not a solution.

However, there are solutions. Last year, more than 5,000 were lifted out of homelessness or prevented from becoming homeless in the first place by way of new tenancies being created - sometimes social, sometimes private rented. An estimated 50,000 new tenancies were created in the last year alone, according to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, and we anticipate a similar number this year. That is the solution: more social housing, and more new tenancies of different forms. That is the answer to the question, "Where will they go?" and that will be the answer for the vast majority of the people affected by the lifting of the temporary winter eviction ban.

Our mission as a Government is to implement genuine solutions, including more and better housing for all. Driving us is the exact same passion and indignation that drives our opponents. The difference is that we will be honest about the solutions, clear about the constraints and realistic about the timelines and the unintended consequences of any actions taken. However, this is a crisis that we will overcome. We are making progress, and over the next two years we will build on it. I commend the motion to the House.

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