Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will use less than my 90 seconds because we are pressed for time. I welcome Deputy Healy's motion, which gives us another opportunity to talk about the important issue of housing, in particular the fundamental point that is the five-year emergency plan, which I absolutely support. We need to take a multifaceted approach. I have made a few suggestions before. A couple of months ago, I mentioned using gardens as a starter home for a couple or for a retirement home. It is only a small aspect but we need to look at the bigger picture. My colleague mentioned water infrastructure. Only a certain number of large towns will be able to facilitate rapid-build, large-capacity housing. We need to talk to Uisce Éireann and focus on those areas where house building will take place.

We need to massively invest in Dublin city centre, from a safety point of view but also in terms of the housing crisis. I reiterate to the Minister, whom I congratulate on his appointment, that there are many houses in settled areas with one person living in a four-bedroom house. There should be a scheme to enable the top part of that house to be sold and possibly the other part of the house to be sold at a later date so that young couples can move in, and as their family expands, they can purchase the other part of the house.

See this speech in context