Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

None of us accepts the situation where there are people in hotel rooms, people being evicted and people having uncertainty regarding their place of residence or their home. None of us wants that to continue. That is why housing policy must ensure we get a balance between the provision of social housing and private housing, and that we incentivise the market so we can have more people involved.

If schemes need to be changed, let us do that. To be fair to the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, he said in his opening remarks as Minister, and the Taoiseach said in his first day in the Dáil, that there will be a review. Senator Ardagh has made reference in the past to the buy-to-let scheme and the whole issue of supply for first-time buyers. If we have to tear up the whole playbook, let us not be afraid to do that. This is about our fellow citizens. Some of us are lucky enough to have the money to buy a house or have a mortgage, and we cannot just wash our hands and absolve ourselves of responsibility. We are legislators. We have a task to do this and we are doing part of it today in this House. That is why it is important.

The other point concerns the model of financial services.I am worried about our banks. I am concerned about the way in which the credit union movement is being treated as well and I make no apology for saying that. We must always ensure we have a viable credit union movement, which is accessible to people who require finance, and we must equally ensure we work with the people who build houses as well. They are not pariahs in some cases. We know who were the pariahs in the past but we need a healthy and vibrant construction sector, which can build houses.

I commend Senator Norris, in particular, and Deputy McGuinness. This is not the most perfect Bill but this is a conversation we need to have.