Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to keep this conversation going but I would like to acknowledge that every Department has bought into, and is contributing to, this process and there is an input. We always have to be conscious that it is a three-way conversation between the citizens, the Legislature and the experts. When I was a Member of this House in 2005, I quoted my father who said: "If we do not watch what is going on this country whereby people are paying up to €600,000 for two-bedroom apartments, they will have millstones around their necks for the rest of their lives." We have to be conscious of the fact that this House has a role and there should be better trigger mechanisms. We have a second arm of the Legislature here and there should be trigger mechanisms when a politician raises a point in this House in order that it is followed through. I recall making that point at the time and that was as far as it went. I appreciate the Senator's contribution. I am a big advocate of the man on the street and he was talking about a property bubble bursting and crashing long before it became trendy within the appropriate field of expertise.