Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader request the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to come to the House as a matter of urgency to debate his withdrawal of the subsidy towards affordable housing? Many local authority housing programmes have been thrown into complete disarray as a result. It was amazing that the Taoiseach went to Galway last weekend and declared that an additional €15 million would be made available for the city. In fact, the local authority had already been notified. There is a huge breakdown in communications between individual Ministers and the Taoiseach. It is disgraceful that people who were providing houses for themselves will now be put back on the list for social housing because of the withdrawal of the subsidy.