Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

We are treating this as an emergency. It is a housing emergency and that is why we are taking big decisions each and every week to try to increase housing supply. We have increased housing supply from the floor to around 30,000 homes each year. We need to increase that significantly to deliver 300,000 more homes by the end of 2030. We have been following the evidence base of the Housing Agency in decisions we have made in recent weeks.

We have published the report of the Housing Agency, which is the body that is meant to assist with accelerating housing supply. We have followed its recommendations and extended rental protections and we are introducing legislation on no-fault evictions, but we are also trying to take a balanced approach. Funding is always important but I believe the constraints here are not funding. Funding will be forthcoming, with more through the national development plan. I believe planning, water and infrastructure are the key areas that we need to focus on in the time ahead.

See this speech in context