Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I say this often, but Deputy Gould is 100% right. Earlier, I said the reason the Government is getting the Bill so wrong is it does not understand what is happening in the housing crisis. Deputy Gould put to the Minister what is happening on his doorstep and he seems to think everything is okay. It is far from okay.

Deputy Gould also mentioned the statistics released today. What is the median cost of buying a house in Carrigaline? It is €393,000, which means that half of the houses sold are in excess of that. The cost of an existing house is €390,000, and half of the houses were sold at a higher price. When the Government took office in July 2020, the price of a house was €263,000. House prices for existing houses in Carrigaline have increased by 50% under the Government, and the Minister is even blind to what is happening in his own community. How can we expect the Government to understand the depths of the housing crisis?

There has been a crisis in that community, like in other communities right across the State, since the Government came into office. They are the statistics from the CSO. House prices have increased from €263,000 in the Minister's community to €390,000. That is the median price. The amendments before us argue that the resources we have need to be utilised to support people in building social, affordable and cost rental homes.

The Government can slap itself on the back, give itself the thumbs up and fist bumps all it wants and convince itself that it is doing something right, but people in the Minister's community are locked out of housing. People in my community are locked out of housing, and God help the people who live in the city of Dublin because the prices that are being asked for houses in the city are only within the reach of those who have very serious incomes. That is the problem. This is why the Government is getting the Bill wrong and so many people are hurting the longer Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael remain in government.

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