Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are not finished yet. First, for the record I never used the word "landlord" at all in my contribution so the Minister might care to listen a little more closely. Second, the Minister's contribution is extraordinary because one would almost think from listening to it that the housing crisis is some kind of natural phenomenon like an earthquake or storm but it is nothing of the kind. The housing crisis happened as a direct result of Government policy, or to be more explicit, it happened as a direct result of failures in Government policy. We should be clear and have some accountability from the Minister. His Government has been in place for the last 11 years. I note the sigh from Senator Casey and I also note the fact that there is not the width of a cigarette paper of difference between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on housing policy now. What does that tell us about how low Fianna Fáil has found itself going? We are in a housing crisis because of the failure of the Governments the Minister has been in over a decade. That is why we have a consistent housing crisis, not just in the lack of public housing but in the atrocious state of the rental market. That is the reality and nothing the Minister can say here avoids that fact. That is the Minister's record in government.