I dtús báire, ní aontaím leis an Teachta. Is soiléir nach bhfuil aon phlean cuimsitheach ag an Teachta féin ó thaobh na géarchéime thithíochta atá againn sa tír seo. Níl sé soiléir in aon chor. Má éisteann muid leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta agus a chomhghleacaithe - na polasaithe agus na tuairimí atá luaite acu - ní bheidh amhras orainn ach go mbeadh an scéal i bhfad níos measa dá gcuirfí roinnt de na polasaithe sin i bhfeidhm.

First, I think the Deputy's inability to acknowledge any progress in relation to housing policy undermines the credibility of his presentation. The bottom line over the last year is that 30,000 new homes were completed in 2022. That is a 45% increase on 2021 figures. Can the Deputy bring himself to say that is very significant progress? It is the highest annual total since the Central Statistics Office, CSO, data series began in 2011. In 2022, we saw the highest level of delivery of new-build social housing since 1975. Last year, more than 10,000 social homes were delivered, including new builds, acquisitions and leasing. Can the Deputy acknowledge that?

We are looking at a consistent trend of more than 10,000 social houses being delivered year-on-year in respect of the new situation regarding affordable housing, cost rental and first-time buyers. The Deputy's party seems to have a blind spot with first-time buyers. Sinn Féin is opposed to measures that help first-time buyers. These are young people who are trying to get on the housing ladder and buy their first home. Sinn Féin opposed the help-to-buy scheme, which has helped more than 38,000 first-time buyers. Sinn Féin is against it and wants to abolish it. Likewise, under the first home scheme, which has proven very attractive to young people given its equity dimension, last year there were up to 16,000 new first-time buyers. Real inroads have therefore been made in policy areas with regard to social housing, first-time buyers, the help-to-buy scheme, the first home scheme and the cost rental initiative. There was no cost rental two years ago. Significant numbers of cost rental properties have now been built and there is much more to come in the future.

In respect of measures for the homeless situation, we have provided measures through the tenantin situ scheme. I cannot deal with every individual case the Deputy may raise. It is easy for him to take one case at a time. However, the policy is there. Councils have been instructed to buy houses where a person is under threat of eviction. A specific unit has been established in the Department to ensure, co-ordinate and direct councils to follow through. There is evidence that substantial numbers of tenantin situ situations are being progressed by councils across the length and breadth of the country. Given that the population has increased very significantly in this country, there is no doubt that we need a higher level of house completion over the next number of years. Sinn Féin's policies on the rental side and in terms of their serial objections to a whole range of developments - approximately 11,000 houses have been objected to by Sinn Féin - would actually reduce the available housing stock both for homeless people and for those seeking to ensure we have a stronger number of houses for rental within the market. Sinn Féin's policies can be summed up as banning, freezing and all of that. It is totally demand-side in the area of rental and there are no real, concrete measures over and above what the Government is doing to boost supply. I do not see it from Sinn Féin.

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