Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Nothing I am saying is any reflection on him personally. What I have just described earlier, though, is fact. It is true, and it is what the Minister of State's party propagates and tries to sell to the Irish people and to people around the rest of Europe. What I am saying is that to build a house, it is necessary to have an effect carbon-wise. There is a carbon footprint in a house. The Government, then, must make up its mind whether it wants to build houses. Does the Government wish to house people or does it not? The only reason the Government does not come out and say there should be no building is that it knows that whatever hope it has it must admit that we must house people. When I hear this type of talk, therefore, all it spells out to me is money, money, money, and more expense being put on the person wanting to have a family home.

Last night, I read a report. I was just saying this to my brother a moment ago. It said that in 40 years' time the average price of an ordinary house will be €1.8 million. I do not know whether that is factual or not. Not being too bad at doing sums, though, I actually think it probably is correct and this is what people are facing. By the time young people of today, who might be ten or 15, will be 50 or 60, the average price of a house could possibly and potentially be €1.8 million. In Killarney town now, it is no surprise to see new houses being sold for €500,000, €600,000 and €700,000. This is an astronomical sum of money to pay for a place to call home in which to be able to lie down on a bed. I did not think I would actually get to see that in my lifetime but I am seeing it. It is not, therefore, beyond the realms of possibility that it will be the case that it will cost the amount of money I mentioned to buy a house in the future.

I just wanted to make the point that when I am looking at the aim of achieving consistency with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, as amended, we would have to say to ourselves that if there is a desire to take this to its ultimate conclusion the Green Party would actually be happier if no houses were built because then there would be no impact on the environment.

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