Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

The so-called housing tsar debacle has left more questions than answers, and not just about salary either. The Minister for housing has been very quiet in responding to these questions. We need to hear from him in the Dáil. He must come to us to explain how he proposes his new housing activation office will work. He cannot leave explanations to the Minister of State with responsibility for nature and biodiversity, as he did on the radio last Friday. Over recent weeks, we have heard plenty of noise from Government about unblocking blockages, tackling shortfalls, maverick approaches and boots on the ground, but no detail. Will there be legislative underpinning for this new office? Will it do more than check the Minister's homework? Crucially, how much will it cost? Whatever the salary, what everyone is struggling to understand is what will the housing tsar do that the housing Minster cannot do himself.

The Minister is currently failing on housing. Let us take some examples. On infrastructure, we learned yesterday about the lack of funding for Uisce Éireann at a time when we are hearing so much from developers and house builders about delays due to infrastructure. We heard yesterday that the extra €1 billion for Uisce Éireann in the budget did not actually represent additional funding. It is what my colleague, Deputy Nash, has called a three-card trick before the election, a bit like the promise of 40,000 homes last year.

Lack of infrastructure is slowing delivery. We are hearing it in Mallow, where 469 houses are being delayed due to infrastructure problems. We are hearing it in Dublin, too. We are hearing other issues as well. Take Pearse House, a large flat complex just a few hundred metres from here, which is in the process of being regenerated. In recent weeks, we have heard from the Department of housing that there has been a hold on regeneration plans, partly because that building is listed. Residents are devastated. They are facing appalling conditions, with sewage overflowing, unsafe stairwells and damp houses. It is not just Pearse House, either. Regeneration is badly needed at Oliver Bond flats, Mercer House and in developments throughout the country.

It is ironic that Pearse House is listed because it is one of Herbert Simms’ developments, built in the 1930s. Simms built 17,000 homes across our capital city between 1932 and 1948. This was a programme of building at scale precipitated by a famous report commissioned in response to worsening conditions in the tenements. It concluded that the State had to deliver homes at scale because the private sector was incapable of doing so. The words of that report are reminiscent of the words in the Housing Commission’s report which seeks a radical reset of housing policy and for the State to play an integral role in providing counter-cyclical support to ensure home building can proceed at scale. What we are not hearing from the Government is any recognition of the need for that urgent and rapid reset in housing. People are being left without a home. They do not want a tsar; they want a home. What will the Minister for housing do to reassure us that he is going to deliver homes?

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