Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is welcome. It is good to see him back in the House.

Let us remember that behind every business, there is a family. Behind every business, there are several workers. The Government has stepped up to the plate when it comes to supporting workers. I fundamentally believe this Bill is what we have all been calling for, that is, a measure to make sure we do not have a cliff edge for businesses, families and workers. That is what this Bill is all about. The Minister of State said it is a small Bill but it is so far-reaching. There are so many schemes under it. We should remember how much has already been invested in some of the schemes. Some €4.2 billion has already been spent by the State on the EWSS.

People have been worrying about whether they will be taken off the larger schemes we have been talking about in September. This Bill states the period will be extended until December, or that the Minister will have the ability to do that.

Another couple of points in the Bill are welcome. The Minister of State has alluded to them. One relates to non-rateable businesses. Those operating businesses from their homes or vehicles will also be taken into account. That means we have been listening. Last September, in the presence of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, I believe, I asked that a reduction of the VAT rate for the tourism sector be considered. Despite everything else the Government was trying to do, it was just not doing enough for tourism and hospitality. The Department is now extending the rate reduction. All of these measures are incredibly welcome, and they are all contained within this Bill. Let us celebrate that. It is a good day for businesses across the State. We are supporting a large number of SMEs in this country.

I would like to refer to the housing issue. I hope every party agrees that long-term leasing arrangements for local authorities are poor value for money. Nobody wants them. Everybody wants local authorities to have their own homes.The Affordable Housing Bill and the Land Development Agency Bill predominantly allow us to build houses on public land and for the State to own those.

We have a cost-rental provision for the first time, for which the Green Party has been calling for decades. That is all part of the housing strategy. I would love that 10% to be extended to those who are leasing to local authorities. I take on the board the senior Minister's previous comments that 2,400 families require these homes. We have to find an arrangement for that. Some 10,000 people are in emergency accommodation, nearly 2,500 of whom are children. We are in a state of emergency and we have to use everything we can. I hope that in the housing for all strategy, we can finally deal with these issues in a way that is sustainable in the long term, that we can see the State owning and not selling off its houses, which it did in the past, and that this Government finally tackles this problem. We have had record funding for housing under this Government. I appreciate people's frustration in that they cannot see the homes now, although, as Senator Casey pointed out, local authorities are attempting to deliver if councillors will facilitate that. It is frustrating when we call to people's doors, as we have all done in the past month, to hear people ask where the homes are. Delivering these homes takes time. The combined effect of these measures is what delivers those homes. I want what is in housing for all to be put in place, which will ensure we have a sustainable model. Some temporary measures are required as well as all those measures we have put in place under the Affordable Housing Bill and the Land Development Agency Bill. Those are what will deliver for people. The Minister of State does not have responsibility for housing but the Government, as a whole, must tackle the issue of vacancy, particularly for rural communities. There are vacant homes and they need to be brought back into use.