Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. What I said in reply to the other Deputies is that any incoming Government should examine all of the policy options that will achieve the central objective - where I think there is consensus on in this House - how do we increase the overall supply to meet the targets that have been set over a series of years. We are open to constructive feedback and engagement on that. What we have said, as a Government, is that the Minister for housing with others - the Minster for Finance, myself as the Minister for public expenditure, and others - will try to access all options to give that significant uplift in supply that is central to achieving affordability across our economy.

I acknowledge the difficulties many aspiring homeowners face and, again, the many people and couples who were left waiting for bad news at Leixlip over the past number of days, a situation which is reflected across the country. It will not improve if we continue with policies that do not unlock supply. That is why it will be a two-pronged approach from this Government in the policy options we take when it comes to delivering supply. As I have said previously, we need to look at the NDP to accelerate infrastructure delivery in our economy. How do we unlock transport-oriented housing development where we have built transport networks in cities or in urban areas? How do progress current projects where we could unlock further supply? How do we address the shortages we have in water infrastructure in towns and regions across our country that will help unlock further housing supply? These are the policy options we are taking, which will involve a bigger role for the State and State agencies such as Irish Water, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority, and the Land Development Agency. Central to our policy is the State's role in the provision of housing supply but we are being honest with people. If we want to reach between 50,000 and 60,000 new homes per year, we need to make sure Ireland is an attractive place for private investment as well. If we are all honest about that, we have seen that weaken in recent years, and that has had an impact on the overall housing supply environment. It will not improve with the Deputy attacking private investors like he did in his initial contribution. It will not happen if he continues the attack on private investors like he has done in recent years or his constant opposition to lots of constructive proposals that have come from Government such as the Land Development Agency. While the then Minister, Deputy O'Brien, was progressing the planning legislation, the Deputy and his party were central to slowing this down, trying to undermine it and trying to create further barriers to the bureaucracy of planning on which we needed to see progress in recent years. Let me be clear: it will be a bigger role for the State but if we are going to unlock further housing supply, we need to ensure we unlock private investment as well and that is the position of Government

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