Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House for the sixth time in his tenure as Minister. This is an important issue. There are two points on which I want to begin. As a Government and collectively, we are trying to create a model of housing that is sustainable, affordable and available to everybody. Senator Warfield, whom I admire and respect, says the Government does not get it, but we do understand. There is a need for all of us to understand that this is not a political issue; it is an issue on which we are all working to achieve an outcome that is positive for everybody. The fundamental point remains the same: it is about increasing supply and tackling affordability. That is what the Government is about. I welcomed the publication of Housing for All and the action points in it, which are matched with funding. In tandem, there is an obligation on local authorities to deliver.

The Land Development Agency has the potential to unlock a large amount of housing across our country, particularly in the city of Cork, where I live. There are several sites, including at St. Kevin's, Boherboy Road and the docklands, that can be used. These projects should be expedited as a matter of urgency. I hope we will see fast-tracking by all involved.

Thirty-three units per year, making rent more affordable and making rental accommodation more secure are the aspirations of the Bill. The cap of 2% is one that we all support. As the Minister said, we are developing a new rental model, called cost rental. We should support this but we never hear about that from some. There is a genuine need for us to ask who the people renting are and who the landlords and property owners are.

The Central Statistics Office did some important work that we should consider. Affordable housing is critical. It is important that we increase supply. It is also important that we support the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, in his apprenticeship plan to increase the number of apprentices so we can help in tackling the skilled workforce crisis in our construction sector. A startling figure in the CSO's report The Rental Sector in Ireland 2021 is that 50.5% of landlords receive an income of less than €10,000.

Housing for All gives new protections and makes affordable rental accommodation and other forms of accommodation more accessible. It is a model that we should support. I thank the Minister for being here. The Bill is important and we should support it. I thank the Minister for the work he is doing.