Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This morning, the Irish Property Owners Association had a very informative briefing across the road in Buswells Hotel. All of us recognise, from our work as politicians living in communities, the difficulties in housing provision and the housing market. It is probably the greatest challenge our generation is facing. I ask that the Deputy Leader facilitate a debate on housing in the context of the exodus of private landlords from the housing market, supply and the issue of Government policy. Indeed, we need to hear about and interrogate the policies of all political parties. We cannot govern by sound bites and slogans, unfortunately. As we see from the North, Sinn Féin, the party of government there, has a very different policy and the outcomes are very different from its prose and rhetoric down here in the South. It is important that we look at the issue of rent pressure zones and why there is an exodus of landlords from the market and the import and implications of that.

I have made the point on a number of occasions that while we do not have a role in the budgetary process in this House, as the Upper House we can facilitate a debate on the formation of Government policy as enunciated in the budget in October. I hope that the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader and the Deputy Leader will look at how this House can play a role in the facilitation of a debate on certain proposals and policies. While it is all well and good to have debates and bring in different speakers, our job as lawmakers and policymakers is to interrogate and put forward solutions that will work on behalf of the people. We are a republic and we are the Upper House. If we are serious about reform of Seanad Éireann, one of the reforms we could undertake instantaneously is to have a greater say and role in the budgetary process of government and the Lower House.