Róisín Garvey (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State.It is not an easy task trying to deal with housing. I welcome the Bill. It is definitely progress. Housing in Ireland is a complete mess. On top of the existing crisis, the pandemic has meant it has not been possible to build houses for more than a year, while there are also now issues with accessing materials. We could spend the whole day playing the blame game but the basic point is that we must deal with housing in some way.

The establishment of the Land Development Agency is progressive and timely. It would have been great if we had done this 20 years ago, but it is happening now and better late than never. It was good that all three parties in government agreed on this agency as part of the programme for Government. We also agreed that it will be covered by the Freedom of Information Act, which is good. In addition, we agreed that we would try to provide houses at an affordable price and also on the concept of cost rental for the first time in the history of the State. People talk about affordability, but they forget that is what we are trying to do. We care as much about affordable housing as does anybody in the Opposition. It is ridiculous to say otherwise.

The cost-rental model is of great importance. Over the years, we have put pressure on people to become house owners because of the lack of trust in tenure. Historically, there has been a major issue with freedom of tenure, which was one of the three F's long ago. We are only starting with the cost-rental model. It will set an important precedent in allowing people to become long-term renters and pay the cost of building the house, without a private builder making loads of money. Renters will pay the cost of the house and have fixed tenure, so they will not have to worry in that regard. I was one of the stressed out renters who never know how long the contract will last.

This is a positive day. It is a shame that people cannot see when progress is being made and we cannot have a little space for positivity. That is what people in Ireland need now. They must have some faith that we are trying our best here to come up with some solutions. The Land Development Agency is finally going to properly identify how much public land exists and then decide what to do with it. For the most part, no private houses will be built on this land. In two cities, 100% of it will be used for affordable, cost-rental and social housing, and 70% of it will be used for this purpose everywhere else. That is a huge reason to celebrate today. It is so frustrating that every time something good happens, there are complaints and questions about why it not this, that or the other and why free houses are not being provided for everybody today.

We must live in the reality of the challenge we face. For the first time, affordable, social and cost-rental housing will be built on 70% of all public land all over the Twenty-six Counties. In addition, 100% of all public land in the cities of Dublin and Cork will not be used for private housing but for affordable and cost-rental housing. Therefore, let us celebrate this Bill, try to make progress and give people hope. Despite all the challenges we faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the lack of houses that were built, which was nobody’s fault, we start here today with a positive Bill. Let us move forward in a positive direction, working together in government and opposition, to finally start solving the housing crisis by having proper cost rental, increased social housing and public land used in a correct way.