Paul Bradford (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I generally support the comments made by colleagues on the housing matter in terms of bankruptcy and the heavily indebted citizens all across the country, but we must ask ourselves why. The answer to the "why" question is the property crash and the policies that brought about that market. The crash did not happen by chance. Policy went in the wrong direction. We put the construction industry in a league of its own, and it was about profit, not housing or looking after the needs of the Irish people. I am concerned that we could see a repeat of this. We read again today about private meetings - and they are not secret meetings - taking place between property developers and the Minister. That scenario is a replica of what we saw in the Celtic tiger era, when one group in society almost set the Government's policy agenda.

I have called in this House previously, as have many of my colleagues, particularly Senator Hayden, for an urgent debate on housing policy. We should have a housing policy debate and not a construction industry policy debate. The purpose of the construction industry should not be to turn millionaires into billionaires; it should be to provide decent accommodation for every stratum of Irish society. Housing was provided in the much tougher times of the 1930s, the 1940s, the 1950s and also in the 1970s and 1980s. That is what our agenda should be. If people want to lobby then let us arrange a public forum on housing which would allow us to hear from developers, auctioneers and the people who are trying to buy houses.

I remember the comments the former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern made when people were critical of property people and developers. He said that people had no entitlement to criticise. It was that sort of blinkered thinking which ruined this country and brought about much of the banking crisis. We do not want to go back to that situation. The Minister of State, Deputy Coffey, has indicated that he will make himself available for a debate. Therefore, I ask the Leader to arrange an urgent debate on housing policy which will be led by the interests of people looking for housing, not by property speculators and developers.