Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight again the housing crisis. The new Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has said that the new Rebuilding Ireland plans for 2020 will not be met. I have just come from a housing meeting. I am calling again for the Government to legislate in respect of credit unions. We have been having meetings with them. They are willing to work with the Government. They have between €173 million and €520 million that they could use to build social housing to help with the housing crisis. I call on the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy to bring in new legislation. This needs to be done urgently.

I was taken aback by the Taoiseach's announcement that he will consider introducing steep rises in property tax on vacant properties to help fund efforts to increase the housing supply. Property tax in rent pressure zones may also be increased. People are only surviving. While I understand that a vacant property has to be kept painted and clean, a lot of people and places are still in recession. The Government needs to bring in new legislation to allow the credit union sector to build social housing. Steep increases in property tax on vacant properties are unacceptable.