Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was going to speak about another matter but I cannot let Senator Mulherin's comments on housing - and some of the inaccuracies they contained regarding county councils - pass. Ultimately, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government calls the shots and provides funding for the councils. The previous Minister - he held the portfolio for some time - and current Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, was before the House in respect of this matter. He is a fine individual and comes from a fine political family. At the time, however, I told him when he was here that his plans and the way in which he intended to spend his Department's money would not solve the housing crisis or improve the supply of housing. That proved to be the case. The facts and figures regarding what the then Minister provided when he held the position speak for themselves. I have not commented once on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. I afforded him due process and allowed him to get his feet under the table. However, he has been in office for ten months. In today's newspapers, the best he can come up with in the middle of a housing crisis is to talk about rogue landlords and refer to this matter as a priority. I have never heard such rubbish in all my life.