Seanad debates

Friday, 28 May 2021

Affordable Housing Bill 2021: Committee Stage

 

9:30 am

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

The Senator obviously has a problem when he hears the truth. The truth of the matter is what his party is doing, which is opposing housing in the State, as this Government tries to get sites that have been lying idle for decades back into use for our citizens and for sustainable communities. We have seen many examples of sites where providing community centres, parks and key infrastructure has been blocked by his party.I am in the business of politics. I am trying my very best to deliver for all the citizens of this country and provide all first-time buyers with sustainable, affordable homes. I want to help all of society. I do not take a singular, ideological approach. The more public homes there are, the more homes there are in the private sector and the more affordable homes that we can offer first-time buyers, the better it will be for everyone in society. It is important to have mixed tenures and to make communities sustainable. As I indicated in the Dáil, the Minister is reserving the right in terms of Part 5.

Reference has been made to the SHD process, which is due to end. The Government has committed to doing that. People must remember that the first decisions came through in January 2018 and 45% of those applications have now commenced. We need to have a bit of fairness and reality in the debate as well.

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