Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I second the amendment and I welcome the Minister to the House. This Government and the previous one have probably done more to improve housing than any other in the history of the State. Perhaps the most obvious improvement has been in the standard and quality of local authority housing throughout the country. For example, in my area of central Dublin, in just one area committee patch, the transformation has been unbelievable. Areas such as Sheriff Street, Seán MacDermott Street and Summerhill have been transformed over the past ten years. People have left the damp, decrepit flats complexes and are in brand new housing. Nobody can tell me they want to go back to the way things were.

We have many examples of this around the city. In Liberty Corner, Dublin 1, a public private partnership was set up. The area now has an enterprise centre, dance studios and a municipal arts centre. These areas had been ravaged by drugs and inadequate housing, but have been transformed due to investment. People who say we squandered whatever benefits the Celtic tiger gave us should take a drive around Dublin city and they will see the changes that have taken place. Six more projects are to be completed in 2004 in one area committee in Dublin, which is smaller than a city council area.