Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach and thank him for taking the time to come to the Seanad, and for the work he does as Taoiseach representing the Government and the country. I thank him for the leadership he has shown in regard to bringing our three parties together, Fine Gael, the Green Party and Fianna Fáil, which are three distinct parties, at a time when democracy is under attack from autocratic powers and those who support autocratic politics. Leadership in democracy is important and I want to thank him personally for the part he has played in that. In his speech, the Taoiseach mentioned housing. This Government has made unprecedented changes to our housing policy and to our delivery of housing. The numbers can be quoted. The Opposition will always cherry-pick numbers that do not flatter but the reality is that this Government has invested in more housing than any Government in a decade; has supported the delivery of more homes in this country than any Government in a decade and is changing how housing is being delivered in this country. It is doing it because it is the right thing to do. We talk about child poverty, equality and opportunity but if you do not have a home, a safe and secure place from which to go to school, to work and out into the world, you are held back. You are disadvantaged. I urge the Taoiseach to keep going with it. We need to see more in this budget. The €20 billion that has been delivered is empowering local authorities, approved housing bodies and the Land Development Agency. That is all delivering and it is making great changes. However, we need a massive acceleration in regard to affordable cost rental. With a country as rich as ours, no greater investment could be made.There will be greater investment in the delivery of affordable housing, most particularly in our cities. It makes economic, environmental and social sense. I ask the Taoiseach to support that initiative and I thank him again for giving us his time.