Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this amendment. As we have discussed, the Bill makes provision for issues the NESC has been flagging, including cost rental, beefing up the LDA to enable it to deliver its functions effectively, the provision of mixed-tenure housing and ensuring we have diversity within our communities. I have spoken passionately about the 15-minute city, which requires diversity, an intergenerational element and sustainability. I am delighted the Minister has accepted that policy. I agree there is a need for a change of wording to be considered in respect of some aspects of the Bill. Fundamentally, however, it is very good legislation.

I have concerns about the review provisions, which I have raised with the Minister. There has been much hay made of the fact we are being asked to take some things on trust. Everything is set out in the Bill but the question is when it will be delivered. A total of 6,000 adults and 2,400 children are in emergency accommodation at this time. We need to get going on that. We must take action on what is in this Bill and the Land Development Agency Bill 2021. We have to give people confidence that we will track what is happening and ensure it is all being done. That is what this amendment seeks to do. We also need to give people confidence that action is being taken on a national level. It is not just about local authorities but also what the Department and Government are doing. That will enable us to say this is great legislation, we will keep following up on it and we are going to deliver for people.

We must deliver but we also must be realistic and pragmatic in our approach. I am a passionate advocate of the Vienna model of cost rental provision. I would love to see cost rental rolled out throughout the country tomorrow, but we have to be pragmatic. The first step must be to get those nearly 10,000 people out of emergency accommodation. We must make sure that it is not just about affordability of homes and whether people can pay their mortgage. We also need to consider whether they can afford to feed themselves. Housing must be available at a cost that is affordable in terms of people's whole lifestyle and how they are using their money.