Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for engaging on this. I will respond to the amendments together, as outlined earlier by the Leas-Chathaoirleach. These amendments refer to and are connected with the power given to local authorities in the Bill to provide financial assistance to eligible purchasers to purchase dwellings on the open market. They propose removing that power and any reference to it from the Bill. I do not propose to accept the amendments. While the currently planned housing authority affordable dwellings scheme envisages the authority providing dwellings itself, I wish to retain the possibility that housing authorities could, under this Part, make financial assistance available to eligible applicants to purchase homes on the open market. This provision is already in the Affordable Housing Bill. In terms of Part 5, the Minister has clearly outlined that he is going to introduce that in the Dáil. That will come back to this House and we will have our say in that regard.

I wish to note one or two items. I am aware of the frustration with getting affordable homes onto the market for all our citizens, and I stress all our citizens. That is very important and it is the singular focus of the Government at present, as it has articulated. I listened to the many comments that previous Governments failed and did not achieve. Those Governments were working in very difficult circumstances and they did their best. As regards the last Government, for which I was elected in 2016, it built 34,000 affordable homes since 2016. It increased production by 300%. The number was up to 20,000 before the pandemic, so huge strides were made. Consider the landscape that came from, where there were 3,000 unfinished estates in this country. Remedial schemes were trying to get funding to provide key infrastructure that should have been in place in different parts of the country. The country was trying to borrow money at an interest rate of 14%. It could not just embark on a massive capital programme of building houses. It was constrained. Over that period, we have reached a place where we can do so. I remind Members that the Government is doing its best. We all are citizens. I know what it is like trying to get into the first-time buyer's market.

Sinn Féin is suggesting that there are sweetheart deals. That does this debate a complete disservice. It does no good for anybody delivering sustainable affordable homes to our communities. I remind the Senator that he opposed the help-to-buy scheme, which provided 22,000 sets of keys to families, my and the Senator's counterparts, trying to get a home for the first time. He is opposing the Land Development Agency Bill, which provides for a key mixture of tenure ranging across social, affordable, cost rental and private. That is good for communities, making them sustainable and ensuring that everyone gets the best possible chance to realise his or her potential. That is what we need in the State.

Sinn Féin has also opposed repeated motions on Dublin City Council to deliver social and affordable homes. We see that every week. Sites have been lying idle for decades because they have not been unlocked. The Senator's party celebrates on social media when social housing units and other developments are refused permission by An Bord Pleanála. I remind the Senator of that when he is making comments about sweetheart deals. I am trying to reflect society-----