Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As he well knows, the Labour Party's proposal clearly set out in our manifesto was to scale up the existing Land Development Agency, which we have supported in opposition, in order to ensure the State could bear the risk of building upfront. What I am hearing from builders and developers throughout the country is they desperately need upfront financing and that the absence of that is what is causing the downward trend and the drop in momentum in the construction of apartments and houses. The Taoiseach says momentum is with him but it is not. I am looking at the Central Bank's report today. The wording in it is about downward momentum and a projected drop in completions because the financing is not there. The Labour Party is offering the Taoiseach a constructive proposal to develop a new financing model through a housing solidarity bond. The Taoiseach has not even responded to my question about it.

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