Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sometimes when I listen to debates about housing I wonder whether those sitting on the Government benches live in some kind of alternative universe. Earlier today, I heard the Taoiseach say that we in Sinn Féin are gaslighting young people. That is from a government that tells us it is there for the people who get up early in the morning, whatever that means, and is there for the people who want to own their own homes. Since 2012, the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds who are living with their parents has increased from 21% to 41%. Is the Minister trying to tell us that those young people want to be living with their parents? I can tell him they do not.

The Minister said that his focus is on building capacity. The only thing that I can see the Government building on is homelessness. The Minister tells us that we are gaslighting people but I can tell him it is the Government that is doing the gaslighting.

On affordable housing, since 2019 there has been talk about an affordable housing scheme in Galway.

It keeps getting delayed. They are now saying it will be delivered in Galway in 2025. Does the Minister know how many houses will be delivered in that affordable housing scheme? It is 85. It is not just me saying that is not good enough, but the Minister's own colleagues who are saying it is not good enough. Does the Minister know what is colleagues are also saying? They are saying it was wrong to lift the eviction ban, but if his mantra is to build and build and build on homelessness, then it was the correct decision. I heard the Minister say on television that he knew it would increase homelessness and yet he made the decision anyway. I ask him to provide the circular for councillors so that they know what to do in terms of buying houses for people who are on HAP in a different county. As they have not got it, the Minister may as well get his act together on it.

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