Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. It is one of many appearances he has made in his short tenure at the Department. I acknowledge his willingness and ability to engage with us as parliamentarians and to listen to the issues of the day. The results and output from the Department in the Minister's short tenure augur well. I listened to Senator Boyhan address difficulties with voids in his constituency. My local authority, Donegal County Council, is one of the most proactive in the country when it comes to housing initiatives. Much of that has been made possible because of initiatives put in place by the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Burke.

While there have been many problems in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage over the years, the reason for much of that turnaround and change is the willingness and ability to adapt to the evolving situation. Some of the initiatives brought in over the last months are welcome, including the blanket eviction ban with level 5 restrictions and the assurances given to those who need a bed, including rough sleepers, that one is available. One crucial element that has been addressed during lockdown is the commercial rates waiver. The knock-on effect from that in each Member's area has been significant and has not been talked about much. That has given security to businesses across the country, securing jobs and keeping businesses afloat, although some will find it difficult.That assurance to business is critical. Moreover, from the perspective of our local authorities, if that was not in place, many people would be losing their jobs. The security it has given to local authority workers and the services they provide is phenomenal. We often talk about people who are on the front line. There are many people working in local authorities who, perhaps, are not considered to be front-line workers, when many of them really are. They are doing it day in, day out, without thought or consideration. Believe it or not, the people that run our sewage services right across the country are putting their necks on the line, day in, day out. They are probably taking more risks than healthcare workers, because they are in an environment that is very dangerous. They are there day in, day out, to ensure the services that we have come to expect are there. Those unsung local authority workers across the board deserve as much applause as many others do, and have received over the last number of months.

I look forward to witnessing the ability of the Minister's Department to evolve in respect of what is a difficult housing situation. The many initiatives that the Minister has brought in have been welcome. They are taking effect. I have no doubt, over the next number of years, with the results that have been coming in, in respect of housing in particular, that there will be good times ahead for all those affected. As they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day", but things are going in the right direction. I commend the Minister for that.