James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all who contributed to the debate and the positive response. I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response and his positive contribution on this motion.

I wish to make a few comments, to Senator Dolan in the first instance. This model could be modified further to deal with communities and individuals with a disability with regard to providing co-ops to build appropriate accommodation. This could be in smaller amounts because we would not want to semi-institutionalise any groups.

I assure my colleague, Senator Boyhan, that there is no opportunity here for a quick buck because these co-ops must be not for profit. As I said earlier, when the house is sold the money must go back to the co-op. That is the only place to which it can be sold. If there is a lift in value then it can be shared between the individual seller or their estate and the co-op.

The Minister of State may be aware that there are 19 projects like this around the country but only one of them is private. There is a huge demand from people who do not need social housing - they can afford a house or they own a house - but they need an incentive and help to be able to help themselves. They want to be able to get into co-ops, and I believe there is a huge appetite. Earlier I referred to a meeting that took place in Skerries, which my colleague Councillor O'Leary attended, and how long ago it is was set up. They want to help themselves. They want the Government to give them a bit of help along the way but they want to be independent and help themselves.

We mentioned various examples. There is an excellent one in Malahide that was done by Fingal County Council and the St. Vincent de Paul. They cost around €165,000, which is real value and much more affordable for older people than what is regularly on the market. St. Michael's House in Dublin 8 is another great development. Even if we just consider the Fingal area alone, statistics show there are 11,939 people over the age of 65. The figures for over 65s in the following areas are: Skerries 1,299; Balbriggan 1,271; Rush 959; Lusk 678; Donabate 677; Swords 2,827; Malahide 2,476; and Portmarnock 1,752. Although Fingal has a very young population we have a big need for this type of housing also. We have an ageing population too. All of these older people want to stay in Fingal, near their families and friends, and they want to be located near to amenities. This has been well rehearsed here by several speakers so I will not go over it again.

The Minister of State quoted what has been a great maxim of mine over the years; make the right thing the easy thing to do. This motion is about helping people to help themselves. It is going to take a pan-government approach. I was delighted to hear the Minister of State say that. It is not just about housing. It is also about health, social protection, the law and so on. It requires a whole-of-government approach and the drive from the Taoiseach's office to make this happen. There is a long, strong tradition in Ireland of the meitheal where people come together as a community to achieve something for the community. This is what these co-ops are about. They will be the meitheal; people coming together to hep themselves, to design for themselves what suits themselves. It will not be the same in Dún Laoghaire as it is in Swords, in Lusk or in Naul.For the benefit of Senator Murnane O'Connor, who spoke of me as a Dublin representative, I am very much a Dublin representative but I am from north County Dublin and I live a couple of miles outside Naul, County Dublin. I am acutely familiar, therefore, with what rural villages are like and the somewhat different needs they have. I appeal to all Members, because we all have a duty in this regard, to start on the way to achieve this as an idea, primarily, rather than focusing on the five reasons it might not be done.

There is an advertisement in which a famous astronomer looks up at the sky and says he can see the stars because he has stood on the shoulders of giants. Older people built this nation and we need to reflect that. We must honour and recognise their contribution and, more importantly, their continuing potential to offer more.

I will not support the Sinn Féin amendments. I regret that Senator Warfield alluded to playing tricks and games because the very notion of his amendments speaks to that.