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

The record is there.

Then we look at how we can activate idle State lands. The Land Development Agency, LDA, has been in place for a number of years. I legislated for it and I capitalised it. The agency has delivered its first homes. It has broken ground and is building in Shanganagh, on the largest social and affordable housing site in the county. The agency is capitalised to the tune of €1.5 billion and it will do a lot more through Project Tosaigh. I will be making further announcements soon about unpausing paused planning developments to deliver cost rental and affordable purchase at scale.

Again, I would remind the Social Democrats that under the cost rental national scheme there are now over 1,000 tenancies in place, with 50-year minimum secure tenures and rents just covering the cost of the development and management of the estate. The Social Democrats voted against that scheme. For me, there is a complete contradiction between putting a motion forward saying that the party wants homeownership and affordable housing while on the ground, we see the record of Social Democrats councillors and Deputies across the country, objecting to developments. More importantly, in here we see the Social Democrats voting against legislation that underpins schemes. I ask Deputy Cian O'Callaghan, for whom I have a lot of regard, to tell me in his response what he would put in place instead of the help-to-buy grant. If constituents come into his office or into his new leader's constituency office, does he or Deputy Cairns refuse to tell them about the help-to-buy grant which gives buyers €30,000 of their tax back in their pocket? Does he not tell them about the vacancy grants of up to €70,000 that are available regardless of the value of the home purchased? That scheme is working already. What would Deputy O'Callaghan put in place instead? What would he put in place instead of the first home scheme? That is actually working for families now, many of whom were renters. Deputy O'Callaghan said in his opening remarks that the rental market as it stands right now does not work for people and he is right. That is why we want to expand cost rental and improve security of tenure. As can be seen from any independent survey of renters, the vast majority want to own their own home and the measures that I have brought forward, as a Fianna Fáil Minister in this Government, give them the opportunity to do that. I have put practical schemes in place that are working now.

The Social Democrats have highlighted the issue of homeownership and they are right to do that. Like them, I do not like to see a decline in homeownership rates but the Social Democrats have put forward zero policy alternatives. They have mentioned the Ó Cualann model but that is the only thing. I have read the motion and the only thing it calls for is a dramatic increase in the delivery of genuinely affordable homes in line with the Ó Cualann model but we support the Ó Cualann model through the affordable housing fund. I opened the homes that Ó Cualann built in Lusk, with support from the Government. We have already supported 45 schemes through the affordable housing fund, many of which are on local authority land and much of which are being delivered. We will do more this year. I am acutely aware of the challenges that exist but we are making progress with regard to homeownership, which is happening, and with social housing.

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