Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator McDowell's sentiments about the march today. I am on record from two and a half years ago when the then Minister, Deputy Coveney, spoke here, as saying his plan was doomed to fail before it started. This was mainly because of the lack of specific numbers. We had to tell each council to build a certain amount of social housing units because without a target they will not know what to do. They muddled along and eventually got an inventory of the lands they held but the single biggest disconnect has been the building of social houses, which the Government has totally neglected. Until it starts doing this we will go nowhere with this issue. Talking about rent guides, rent caps and pressure zones is all a load of rubbish as the market will do what the market will do. Social housing is where the problem started and social housing is where the problem will finish.

With the budget on our doorstep we should look at the constructive use of co-operative organisations which have had great success in Britain, particularly on the outskirts of London in places such as Kent. Villages in rural Ireland have been cut adrift, although this is not all down to Government policy. Rural Ireland has to be sustained.and the co-operative model could progress that and keep open the local shop, the local newsagent, the local coffee shop or public house. I implore the Minister to make funding available for co-operative activity in rural Ireland so that we do not leave our villages to the wolves. If there are grants for these places the communities will come together and make them a success