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

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as a ceist. Housing for All is working. We are building more homes than at any point since 2008 and we are building more social housing than at any point since the 1970s. Tá Tithíocht do Chách ag obair. Tá níos mó tithe á dtógáil againn ná ag aon phointe ó 2008. Tá níos mó tithe sóisialta á dtógáil againn ná ag aon phointe ó na 1960idí.

Every week, 500 people are drawing down their first ever mortgages. That is the most since 2007. Tá 500 duine ag ceannach a gcéad teach gach seachtain. Is é sin an líon is mó ó 2007. Tá muid ag cur cíosa mhíosúil ar ais i bpócaí daoine tríd an chreidmheas cánach cíosa - €750 do dhaoine aonair, €1,500 do lánúin nó os cionn €2,000 do thriúr ag roinnt. We are putting a month's rent back in people's pockets through the rent tax credit, which is €750 for an individual, €1,500 for a couple and more than €2,000 for three people who are sharing.

The Land Development Agency, LDA, is making progress and is building affordable homes to rent and buy all over Ireland. Despite this progress affordable homes to rent and buy all over Ireland. Despite this progress, we know change is not coming quickly enough. As a result, we will publish new, more ambitious targets for homebuilding. I promise we will leave no stone unturned. Tá dul chun cinn á dhéanamh ag an LDA anois. Tá sé ag tógáil tithe inacmhainne le ligean ar cíos nó le ceannach ar fud na hÉireann. D'ainneoin an dul chun cinn seo, tá a fhios agam nach bhfuil sé ag teacht tapa go leor. Mar sin, foilseoidh muid spriocanna nua níos uaillmhianaí maidir le tógáil tithe agus geallaim nach bhfágfaidh muid cloch gan chasadh.

In the context of the Labour Party motion that will be debated in the House this week, the Cabinet gave it consideration today. We have decided not to oppose it and to allow it to pass. We do not agree with all aspects of the motion but we agree with the broad thrust of it. The motion recommends we should increase our housing targets to 50,000 per year. We do not necessarily think that is achievable this year or next, but we do think it is achievable. We think that is an ambition we can share. The motion calls for the tenant in situ scheme to be scaled up. That scheme has been a big success. We agree it should be scaled up in order that we can buy properties from landlords who are leaving the market and allowing housing assistance payment, HAP, tenants to become regular social housing tenants. The motion expresses frustration at how long it is taking to get EU clearance for the changes we want to make in respect of short-term lets in order to restrict them in our cities where demand for housing is so great.

With regard to the Department of housing there has not been an underspend this year. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, was able to move funding from one area to another, but all within the housing and local government remit. That is not unusual. For example, the Department is using some funding to reduce development levies to make the cost of building lower.

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