Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)

I will speak on behalf of every single one of them and tell the Minister of State that the Government is crucifying them for years to come. These properties are not affordable. The Government is crucifying them, and probably their children after them, with a level of mortgage and financial burden that is completely unsustainable. That will impact every decision they make in their lives, from how many kids they will have to whether they will be able to access work and childcare. That is the reality of it. These properties are not affordable. The Government's schemes are not working for people. On the one level, the Government says it is delivering for people but, on the other, it is crucifying them, and the reality is that it is driving many more out of this country. That is the sum total of the Government's so-called affordable housing scheme. It needs to change tack and listen to what people are saying to it about these schemes.

My follow-up question is about the fact that 79% of private homes that were delivered in Dublin last year - it is the same in County Meath, albeit maybe not to the same extent - were bought by people who had multiple properties. Is the Government going to do something about that? We have situations - I could identify them in my own area - where people have made an absolute fortune out of the Government's IPAS scheme, which is really poorly overseen, only to buy multiple properties in these new developments. It is shameful.

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