Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to examine the Government’s Housing for All policy. While others talk, Fianna Fáil in Government is a party of action on housing. Since his appointment, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, has delivered a sea change in the construction sector in Ireland. The legislative framework has been adapted and updated, and billions of euro have been allocated to deliver social, affordable and cost-rental homes. Every honest person accepts that seeing the full impact of this takes time, but the facts show a major expansion in house building has been delivered and is accelerating. Since Fianna Fáil came to office in July 2020, more than 110,000 new homes have been completed. In the past 12 months, construction of 53,011 homes has commenced. In the past four years, more houses have been built than in the previous nine years combined. There is more to be done, but that is real momentum.

Meanwhile, opposition voices in the Dáil have opposed almost every single initiative to support homeownership and increase housing supply. They have opposed almost every single legislative change to streamline the system and deliver more social, affordable and cost-rental homes. In their constituencies, they have opposed and continue to oppose the construction of thousands of homes. They then appear in the Chamber and complain about the lack of housing supply. They love to debate and they love the sound bites, but they refuse to put forward costed, detailed policies. They are all talk and no action. The truth is that the Minister and the Government have completely changed the structural environment underpinning the construction sector in Ireland. The changes recognise that the construction market failed, as it has across the UK and other western countries, and that State intervention is required to ensure sufficient delivery.

Housing for All is the single largest investment in housing in the history of this State. It is a fully funded, radical and most realistic plan for the future. In my constituency of Dún Laoghaire, we have seen social housing lists reduce as the massive increase in social housing stock becomes more available. Last year, we saw 597 homes begin construction at Shanganagh Castle, Shankill. That is 597 homes for 597 families. That is real progress, which demonstrates Housing for All is working.

I welcome news that the Housing Commission has concluded its work. I commend the Minister on requesting that work. It was clear to everyone across the House that targets would have to be revised upwards following the most recent census. Rather than setting targets on the fly, as many in the Opposition seem to favour, the Government rightly sought specialist independent advice to set sustainable targets. Given the massive level of funding involved, this is right and proper. It is clear more needs to be done to deliver affordable housing, and this must be prioritised in those new targets. We should also introduce rightsizing supports, and more flexibility in this area, including in the area of supplying housing for people with disabilities, as mentioned.

Some suggestions from the Opposition today have been constructive and are welcome. However, Sinn Féin’s plans to scrap the help-to-buy scheme, the first home scheme and the €70,000 vacant property grant would destroy the route to homeownership for a generation of young people. Rather than being scrapped, as Sinn Féin is planning, these schemes should be expanded. There is a stark and clear choice in this upcoming election. It is a clear choice between real progress and solutions or scrapping supports for homeownership and risking the continued development and delivery of housing supply.

I know where Fianna Fáil stands: more homes equals more homeowners. That is our policy. That is our message. It is clear, simple and true.

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