Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Is léir ó 2020 amach go bhfuil dul chun cinn le feiscint ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta. Tá an-chuid déanta againn ach is léir maraon leis sin nach bhfuil dóthain déanta againn agus go bhfuil i bhfad níos mó le déanamh sna míonna agus na blianta atá romhainn. An tuairim atá agam féin ná go bhfuil an polasaí atá ag an Rialtas seo i bhfad níos fearr agus go mbeidh sé i bhfad níos éifeachtaí ná na polasaithe atá foilsithe ag Sinn Féin. Níl aon amhras orm faoi sin. Since 2020 onwards, there has been progress on housing. We went from 20,000 a year to over 30,000 a year. We exceeded the targets that were set in Housing for All, which were realistic targets taking variable factors into account. Given, however, the rise in the Irish population and the growth of our country, it is not enough, and I acknowledge that.

Housing is the number one issue facing us. The last Government introduced a range of schemes. This Government, only a number of weeks in office, has announced a further €450 million in additional funding for social, affordable and cost-rental homes. We are setting up a new strategic housing initiative office, as recommended by the Housing Commission. We are publishing the national planning framework to allow us to zone much more land and to enable the county councils and the city councils to zone additional land for more houses to be built. We are hitting the ground running as regards the housing agenda.

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