Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I call on the Deputy Leader to request the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to come to the House as a matter of urgency to indicate what steps the Government intends to take regarding the housing crisis, particularly in the area of social housing. There are 60,000 families on housing lists throughout the country. The ESRI report on housing, poverty and wealth in Ireland, which was published in recent days, gives a clear indication of the direction in which we are going. Between 20% and 35% of local authority housing starts were in the social housing category in the 1970s and 1980s, but the rate has decreased to 10% today and continues to fall. It is impossible for unemployed persons and single parents to access the rental market. Rents have increased by 300% over the past five years. The Government seems to have a complete lack of policy ideas aimed at tackling the problem. Local authorities do not have any land banks. Members have tried to highlight the fact that 150,000 people are waiting for housing, which is a clear indictment of——