Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is déjà vu. This sounds similar to a debate that we had previously. I will address a couple of issues.

Of us all, Senator McDowell summed it up best. This is about getting the balance right. If one or two changes are introduced without an overall package, there is a risk of affecting supply. The solution to all of our problems - social housing, private housing and the cost of rent - is supply. A package of €5.5 billion of taxpayers' money has been put in place to drive up the supply of social housing and return us to where we were ten years ago, increase the supply of private housing, address the costs of rent and supports, etc. There are many solutions to the crisis, but implementing this blunt instrument without proper mitigating measures to protect supply would actually endanger that supply. That is the fear. It is not down to ideology, but practical common sense. We can almost guarantee that supply will be affected. Even if we could say "might be", we would still be concerned.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh insisted that this was down to ideology, but it is not. I can be no clearer. We are a solutions-focused Government that is supported by most of the Dáil in tackling the housing crisis. We will do what needs to be done to address the issue of homelessness, the shortage and cost of housing, the cost of rent and so on.