Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator and commend him on consistently raising this issue in the House, which has been important. There was a debate last night in the Dáil on housing affordability, at which one side of the House argued we were subsidising too much for the construction sector while others maintained we were not doing enough. The Government is trying to strike a balance and that is what we have done here. We have acted swiftly given global events that have been outside our control, with construction costs increasing even before the war in Ukraine. We have a significant challenge on our hands and are responding as we go.

The Senator asked me how we arrived at the proportion of 70:30 and who will be responsible for carrying out the assessment. I do not have that information to hand but I will revert to him in due course with a response. I reiterate we recognise the considerable challenges facing the construction sector and the fact developers have managed to absorb those costs insofar as they can. There is no doubt we want to work together to deliver on Housing for All and to deliver sustainable housing for communities, which is why this intervention was vital.

I again thank the Senator for his contribution to the matter.