Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

The Supreme Court did not bury it. It actually indicated the remedy, the avenue to facilitating the legislation for the CETA trade deal, which Deputy Bacik referenced - the Arbitration Act. It was approved today by the Cabinet and will go forward for legislation. The occupied territories Bill was also approved today. The Minister brought it to the Cabinet and it will go to the Dáil and the Oireachtas select committee.

On the other issues that were raised and housing in particular, the market is broken at the moment. The State and the Government are leading on housing. The bulk of investment is coming from the Department of housing. All the estimates show that we need without question to build more houses and to build them faster. We are at record levels of Government expenditure through a variety of schemes, including social housing, affordable housing, Croí Cónaithe and the Land Development Agency. It is all State-led and all the capital is acting as a catalyst for financing private sector development but we definitely need more private sector investment to support and supplement the State-led investment if we are to get to the critical mass of 50,000 units per annum. I am focusing on the how of getting to 50,000, not on the ideology of how to get to 50,000, whereas a lot of people on the other side of the House are focusing on the ideology-----

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