Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

We should just rename this debate the "black is white" debate. The Government is essentially trying to convince us that black is white. To have the audacity, as Ministers have done this evening, to come into this House and claim that their housing plan is working is akin to trying to convince people that the Earth is flat. The thousands of people who were outside this House this evening, demanding that we raise the roof, demanding of their elected representatives that we raise the roof on their behalf, know the reality of the record of the parties in government. House prices and rent costs through the roof, homelessness figures beyond anything anybody could have imagined. On every single metric the situation is getting worse, every day, week and year that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in government supported by Independents. Unless the policies that have been put forward time and again by Opposition parties, civic society groups and experts across the field, including in tonight's motion, unless and until those policies are enacted, the situation is going to get much worse.

In reality, this means the young people who have just finished their leaving certificate examinations do not see a future for themselves in this country. They are well qualified and many of them will go and get the best university education in the world. They will be highly qualified, highly motivated and very talented and they will be in a position to get a job, but they will not be in a position to take that job because they will not be in a position to find somewhere to live.

It is time for change. It was correct and right that people travelled to Dublin to the Raise the Roof protest. I hope this is a sign of hope that people are going to stand up and demand change because absolutely no hope is coming from this Government.

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