Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the Members who contributed to this debate with their insights into this housing crisis. I thank Fine Gael for supporting the motion. It means a lot that this House is passing this motion on an agreed basis. As Senator Norris said, this sends out a very clear signal that this House is prioritising housing and homelessness.

In her very eloquent contribution Senator Devine said how important the issue of homeless children is. In my work I have come across the infantile behaviour these children are reverting to. I have seen children who live in buggies and have not developed their core strength and cannot walk at the correct time. This lack of development will work against them later in life and we should take this into consideration too. It is an emergency.

Senator Coffey referred to the timing between granting funding and delivering these housing units. These children do not have that time. We should seriously consider some system to take care of these children. I think it was Senator Kelleher who referred to a system for tracking these children. That is a very good suggestion and we in Fianna Fáil would support it to monitor these children as they move through the system.

Senator Coffey referred to the Part V requirement. He mentioned the cash in lieu of abiding by the requirement. I admit it was perhaps a mistake and we hold our hands up. However, I put it to him that moving the requirement from 20% to 10% will have the same effect as accepting cash in lieu. The Minister of State might reconsider that.

Senators Coffey, Mulherin and Feighan referred to urban regeneration. Senator Feighan reflected on his experience of growing up over a shop. Many generations in Ireland were reared on main streets, above shops. I support what Senator Mulherin said, that perhaps we should consider a tax incentive for first-time buyers and owner-occupiers to come back into towns and villages and live over the shop or take over terraced houses. There could be a grant for them to upgrade these properties and bring them up to modern living standards.Senator Norris also referred to how vulture funds have put people out of their homes, which is something the Government should look at. It was referred to by another speaker that a four-year window will close rapidly and that will present its own problems in another few years.

Senator Mulherin referred to the pyrite situation in the west of Ireland. The east coast has not completely resolved the matter. In my constituency of Dublin Fingal we have a serious pyrite problem. I have met families who bought starter homes but cannot move home due to the pyrite problem. Some families want to remain in their starter homes but want to perform home renovations and add extensions to accommodate their growing families. Unfortunately, they are unable to carry out such works until the pyrite situation is resolved. People have put their lives on hold for ten or 11 years at this stage. I urge the Minister of State to look at the matter and to make sure that people no longer keep their lives on hold.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh said that Fianna Fáil had a brass neck to table this motion. The only brass neck in this Chamber belongs to Sinn Féin. As my colleague, Senator Davitt, has pointed out, Sinn Féin is in power in local authorities in Dublin yet the party has done nothing.