Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 24 Senators who contributed on the Order of Business. I will begin by responding to Senator Catherine Ardagh and the other Members who spoke about the issue of housing. They were Senators Kevin Humphreys, Victor Boyhan, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and Catherine Noone. It is important to work together collectively to ensure the provision and supply of social housing and housing for first-time buyers, the major issue of our time, will be addressed. It ill behoves Senator Catherine Ardagh to describe the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, as having his eye off the ball. To be fair to him, he has probably been the most proactive Minister in his portfolio that I have seen in my ten years in the Houses of the Oireachtas. Certainly, he has his eye on no other contest than ensuring people will be housed and that the availability of housing will be increased. I draw the attention of Members to the remarks today of the chairperson of Threshold, former Senator Aideen Hayden, on the Sean O'Rourke programme. She referred to the decrease in the rate of increase, reaching a peak and signs that the market had stabilised. It is important to recognise that we have come through the worst housing crisis in the history of the State. At the risk of creating a political row which I do not want to do, I note in response to the the Senators opposite that Fianna Fáil presided over the worst recession to hit the construction and banking industries and which had a devastating effect.