Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)

The Minister acknowledges that there is an affordability problem. Mother of Jesus. He acknowledges that there is a viability problem. Does he know what the problem is? We have a Government problem. The people in Balbriggan are at the business end of a Government-sponsored problem. The average cost of rent in north County Dublin is €2,223. I asked the Minister a simple question: how many cost-rental homes have been delivered in Balbriggan in the last five years? Not only did I ask the Minister the question, I gave him a week to answer it and to do research. The answer, the Minister and I both know, is "zero". He has delivered zero by way of cost-rental homes for people living in Balbriggan and that is why they are in my constituency office day in, day out, telling me they are facing eviction. Mothers are telling me their kids are going to have to emigrate because they cannot afford to live in north County Dublin and that is on the Minister.

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