Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I very much welcome the motion and congratulate the Civil Engagement Group for tabling it and giving us the opportunity to speak about the issue. I welcome our guests to the Chamber. I am very struck by the entirety of both Senator Ruane and Senator Flynn's contributions but especially by the line in Senator Flynn's contribution that referred to a message that people are failing. There is an inherent unfairness in that and a perception that somehow it is the fault of the people who are struggling. There is no question but that it is not. By a sheer matter of luck that none of us have any say over we are born into a family, a community or a country that has either opportunities and a pathway for a life where things fall nicely into place or a life where every impediment is set in people's way. It is a Government's duty to unequally distribute our resources and set up our policies in such a way that equality of opportunity is achieved by ensuring that there is a bias to assist. For education we have the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme. Throughout different stages in life, opportunities are provided to try to balance the inequality of the sheer luck of where people are born and what opportunities they might have to education and everything that sets them on the path of life.

I stand here as a Senator for two years. However, in my lifetime I have worked on building homeless accommodation for people coming out of care to ensure they have supports, an opportunity to have a roof over their heads, independence and dignity and respect from when they turn 18 years of age. It was an initiative specifically for 18- to 25-year-olds. It ensured they had support for their children in crèches and support for education programmes to enable them to use that opportunity in the supported sheltered housing so they could then move forward in their life.We can see how instrumental having such supports in place can be in changing someone's life. My home constituency has every type of household from people with three or four grown-up children living under their roof because the latter cannot afford to buy or rent a property to people who are on long housing lists and aspiring to get out of their parents' homes or the completely inadequate accommodation they currently have.

I am a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, along with Senators Fitzpatrick, Boyhan and Moynihan, some of whom are present. I am also a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters, which has, as the Minister of State mentioned, examined the issue of inequality of access to housing and the fact the regulations ensure a person in a wheelchair can visit a newly built home but not necessarily that he or she will be able to go upstairs and sleep in it overnight. We heard very powerful testimonies from people of their experiences and aspirations in this regard. That information has been heard, fed back and is reflected in the Government's plans.

I believe 100% in the Housing for All plan, which built very firmly on the foundations that were put there by the previous Minister. I do not want to focus on what it aspires to do. Instead, I will reflect on what it has achieved. When we talk about an aspiration in regard to housing, we know that Housing for All deals with first-time buyers, homelessness and renters. It provides very concrete actions in those areas. However, it is beneficial to consider what has been achieved, bearing in mind that we are not yet two full years into our term. Actions were in place, as I said, and it is useful to consider what has been done since then. The plan was to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 homes per year over the next decade. Progress so far includes the delivery of 20,903 homes up to the end of September 2021. Construction commenced on another 30,724 homes last year and planning permission was granted for a further 39,000 homes. There was a 2% rent cap in place in rent pressure zones when inflation was at that level. The Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Act was passed into law, which expedites the building process. The Land Development Agency is in place, as is the help-to-buy scheme. A total of €75 million is available to local authorities for housing adaptation. Concrete actions have been taken.

I believe Housing for All and the other measures we have discussed are addressing the very real and valid concerns and the real-life experiences colleagues have raised. I do not have to go beyond my own office to hear about those experiences. We are working and striving to achieve resolution and bring an end to what has been a lifelong struggle for many people.