Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

When people look back at the decisions taken by the Minister and the Government on this legislation, academics and the people who end up living in these tiny apartments will ask what was going through their minds. Who made this decision?

I will give an example of how governments get it wrong. I come from Knocknaheeny. When Knocknaheeny was built 50 years ago, perhaps because of the financial situation of the country, it was decided to build the houses 20% smaller with substandard building materials. That decision was taken. Now Knocknaheeny has been undergoing regeneration since 2000. The houses were 25 years old when they had to start that and now we are 25 years into it. All that is because bad decisions were taken at the time. The Minister has to step back from this, if he is really serious. I believe the other speakers are right that this will actually slow down delivery. Existing planning permissions will go back to redesign to see what the maximum number that developers can get in to maximise their profits. Remember, they will maximise their profits because they will be able to maximise the number of units, but they are not allowed to increase the shared space. People will be piled into developments with no ability to build communities.

Mixed tenure has been proven to be the best way forward - one, two and three bedrooms, and single people, people with disabilities, couples with no kids, couples with kids and single people with kids. We are trying to build a community that represents the society outside but this is jamming people into bedsits. That is what we are talking about. I looked at the new prison cells. They are 12 sq. m. The units the Minister is looking at are 32 sq. m. Someone will have to pay €2,500 and a fellow who is locked up, a violent criminal, is living somewhere less than 2.5 times the size. How can that be right? People are working every hour God sends. Imagine being one of these people spending every penny they have to live in one of these bedsits and they have nowhere to meet their neighbours or to share. Think of the mental damage to individuals who will be trapped, because that is what they will be. They will be trapped there. They will go from the box bedroom of their parents house into one of the Minister's “initiatives” to solve the housing crisis. I said to the Minister yesterday, and I said it to him last week, that I invite him to walk around Dublin with me and Opposition spokespersons on housing. The number of vacant, derelict properties with water, electricity, infrastructrure and public transport right outside is an absolute sin. I know the housing crisis cannot be solved overnight - no one is suggesting it can – but what the Minister can do is deliver housing where these services exist. We know Irish Water cannot deliver connections or on wastewater.

We know the ESB cannot get them connections as fast as possible but there are thousands of properties - an estimated 164,000 vacant properties not including derelict properties. This is where we could get an easy win and turn them around in a space of months, a year or a year and a half and put them back into use. There are thousands of boarded-up council houses. This is another easy fix. We could turn them around in months.

All I hear the Minister do is give out about local authorities. The buck stops with him. If he truly wants to solve the housing crisis, there are much better ways to do it than what he is doing here today. The dogs in the street know that he is doing this to placate and encourage investment in these properties. He is looking to get in outside money. We have some of the highest rents in the world. If they are not willing to come in and invest in our country now when they can get €2,500 or €3,000, when will they? He is trying to encourage maximum profit but what about the quality of life? What about the cities, towns and villages we are trying to build? What about our communities? A lot of people have spoken. We want to be constructive. If the Minister solves the housing crisis, we will be the first people to congratulate him but what he is doing tonight will make matters worse.

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