Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At dtús, déanaim comhbhrón le clann Shane MacGowan agus a bhean, Victoria, ar a bhás. Níl aon amhras ach ceoltóir den scoth a bhí agus atá ann. I express my deepest sympathies to the wife and family of the late Shane McGowan, an iconic musician who blended many different musical disciplines and genres but who was particularly influenced by his time in Tipperary. He was very conscious of the traditional musical heritage and interwove that with many other. It is particularly poignant at this time of the year in the context of "Fairytale of New York" with Kirsty McColl, which he wrote as part of a bet that he could write a Christmas song. It is one of the most enduring songs that continues to resonate with all of us. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

I have been very clear and consistent from the moment we began negotiations on the programme for Government that helping people to afford to buy or rent a home is a defining challenge of our time. I have consistently described it as the most important social issue we face. Access to a safe and comfortable home is the bedrock of social stability and progress in our country.

I have been equally consistent in saying that there is only one sustainable solution, which is to build more houses to own or rent. Supply is the key. We need action on every front and action is under way on all fronts and is making a difference. Housing for All remains the most comprehensive and detailed plan in respect of housing yet published. No other political party has published anything approximating the detail and comprehensive nature of Housing for All.

By every measure of home permissions, completions, home purchases, first-time buyers and mortgage drawdowns, we are seeing positive momentum and movement and things are changing for the better. By the end of this year, 100,000 homes will have been built since this Government came into office. We have started a new era of providing social houses in all parts of the country, with up to 30,000 delivered to date. In addition, 22,000 social homes are on site or at design and tender stage. The Land Development Agency is having an impact, with thousands of new affordable and social homes being developed on State-owned and private land.

We are supporting people in the private rental sector who are particularly squeezed because of the lack of available properties and rising rents. We have introduced a new special tax credit for every renter and a series of measures to try to maintain and increase the number of homes available to rent. The problem of derelict and vacant buildings is being targeted with very generous grant schemes and dedicated funding in every corner of the country.

The Deputy must now know that the facts show that every week, 500 first-time buyers are buying a new home. I believe homeownership should be supported, which is why this Government has created and expanded the help-to-buy scheme and the first home scheme, which are helping thousands. The Deputy opposed all of these schemes to help people get out of the rental market and get into affordable homes. We believe homeownership matters and we want to increase homeownership as well as provide social housing.

Regarding the RTB rent index and its main findings, in respect of the existing tenancy statistics, the standardised average rent for existing tenancies is about €1,332. It is the first time where we have significant data on existing tenancies as opposed to new tenancies.

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