Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Under a Fine Gael Government, Senator Gavan. Seven sites await development to a tune of €37.6 million. That shows social housing is being delivered by a Fine Gael Government.Please tell the people who are now housed in the two places I just named, in particular in Sheridan Park, who have moved in and are delighted to be there, that a Fine Gael Government is providing them with social housing because work is being done. I accept that it needs a collective will and movement. We wish we were not in this situation. Look at where we came from. There are challenges that we have to overcome with regard to rezoning of land, derelict sites and the acquisition and refurbishment of housing. We have to change the model but we have the plan and we have the allocation of resources and now, as Senator Coffey rightly said, we must have delivery. That means we must challenge the local authorities, banks, developers, political class and the voluntary housing agencies to move in one direction.

None of us wants to have this debate about people being, unfortunately, in hotel rooms or homeless but there is movement and there is political will by Government and it will take time. The answer to those who say Fine Gael is not committed to social housing is that it has invested €5.5 billion in Rebuilding Ireland.