Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a truly extraordinary achievement, considering where we have come from, that we are on the cusp of breaching delivery of 34,000 houses this year. If we were to believe some in the Opposition, there is no building going on anywhere in the country. Yet, driving into Dublin, one sees cranes everywhere. In every provincial town in Ireland, there is large-scale house-building under way.

In Longford, we are seeing considerable success for first-time buyers, with the provision to them of 305 out of 378 new homes. I commend the Department and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on the help-to-buy scheme. It is a really successful scheme that has given a real and meaningful opportunity to young people across Ireland to build their first home. We are making real progress. It is progress that is sustainable. I have no doubt that over the last year of the lifetime of the Government, we will see considerable further success thanks to the hard work of the Department.

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