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

I do not accept the Deputy's charge. Young people in Ireland are better educated than ever before. More are completing third-level education than ever was the case in the past, from such a diversity of backgrounds.

Young people are more likely to gain employment than ever was the case before. Young people, in particular those of us who are LGBT or women, have rights and freedoms that would have been unimaginable in previous generations. They are the improvements and they are significant. I fully accept that housing is an enormous challenge, particularly for younger people and also for the Government, but we are making real progress. Record levels of social housing are being built. Last year, we had the highest level since the 1970s. Every week we see about 400 first-time buyers buying their first home. I want to see that figure become a lot higher.

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