Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

This item highlights another failing within the Department of Transport and it would make sense to have the debate today.

As we prepare ourselves for the belt tightening exercise that will occur at 3 o'clock today, can we agree that one of the few areas we need to prioritise is that of local authority housing? In the past three years there has been an increase in the number of applicants coming on to the housing list from 39,000 to the current figure of 50,000. Even in the harsh 1980s we managed to build more local authority homes than we are building now. There is a crisis in every local authority in terms of the number of people looking for local authority homes. These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society who have been squeezed out of the housing market and cannot get any kind of affordable rented accomodation. Will the Leader make this view known to the Government and provide time for a debate on the proposed steps to address the matter, which are being brought forward by the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Noel Ahern?

Will the Leader make available to the Opposition, a list of proposed legislation which she intends to introduce to the House between now and the end of this session? It would be useful from the point of view of the spokespersons, but also for all Members of the House so that we know exactly what Bills the Government is proposing.