Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I heard Senator Boyhan say he is lost. I want to help him find his way. I am genuinely concerned for him because I know he participates very actively in the joint committee on housing. I know he has the utmost respect and admiration for the Minister. I believe he understands that the intention of the Minister and the Government with this affordable housing Bill is to make housing affordable. I believe he understands that the reason the Government is legislating to make housing affordable is because it recognises housing is unaffordable. Senator Boyhan talked about housing at €450,000 in Dublin. The reason the Government and the Minister have called that out is that the Minister, the Government and the Government parties all recognise that €450,000 is unaffordable for people on modest and medium incomes, and they are the vast majority of our population.

However lost Senator Boyhan may be, I want him to know that we are legislating to have the State provide really affordable housing. Affordable housing, as the Minister and the Minister of State have advised the House on numerous occasions, starts at €160,000. That is a far cry from €450,000 and is the right starting point in my opinion and in that of the Government parties. We must make housing affordable because it is vital social infrastructure. You know this. You know we know this. You know we believe that housing is a basic human right and that the State should be taking the lead in addressing the housing crisis with respect to both affordability and supply. That you will again try to waste time in spurious arguments-----