Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First of all, I thank and acknowledge Sinn Féin for raising this very important matter here this evening. It was ironic to be above inside in the office listening to everybody's contribution. Some of the loudest voices I heard inside in the Chamber this evening all have one thing in common. They are all serial objectors in their own constituencies. They have not objected to ten or to 100 but to thousands of houses being built. If those houses had not been objected to, they might have been built more quickly, and many of them have not seen the light of day because they were stopped and scuppered. The objections were like Scud missiles which were blown off the planning sheet, and these houses were never developed, so those families who could be living in those houses today are not. That is another thing caused by their faceless objections. They increased the cost of housing because if any development is slowed down or stopped, all that is being done is ensuring that if the development does go ahead, it will be more expensive. These objections may have been well intentioned, but I am not so sure if an objector believes they are well intentioned, because I would never be able to understand that and if you wants houses, you cannot be objecting to them at the same time.

A short number of months ago, I voted against the eviction ban being ended. I am glad I did so because I know the 12 people I met over this weekend's clinics in Kerry who have received notices to quit are not happy they are in that position now. I feel bad about that because they would not be facing leaving their homes if that eviction ban had been allowed to stay in place.

I say, however, that where the Government is really dropping the ball is the continuous attack on people own property and who are an integral part of this. Incidentally, I apologise to the Chair because I did not declare my interest in this matter, which I should have done it at the very beginning and I am doing so now. I like to think, however, that my own experience leaves me in a good position to be able to talk about this. People who own property are leaving the rental market in their droves and will continue to do so unless the Government does something to address those issues. These have been very clearly laid out to the Minister of State. If the Government does not do something about that, there will be no such thing as private rented accommodation. We cannot be relying on the State because the State has proven, and not just this Government but previous governments, that it is incapable of providing the housing we need. These are the types of problems we need to address.

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