Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Talking. The proposed projects include those at Dorset Street, Dominick Street, Constitution Hill and Matt Talbot Court - the list goes on. These are prime sites in one of Europe's greatest capital cities. Dublin City Council is moving at a glacial pace. It is unacceptable. It is a complete dereliction of duty. Will the Minister use his offices to engage with Dublin City Council? I appreciate there is a new director of services, but we need an accelerated pace from Dublin City Council on the regeneration projects. We also need an initiative to increase the supply of homes to purchase, and we need affordable homes in Dublin city. It is a great city to live in, but we have teachers, nurses, gardaí, entrepreneurs and actors who cannot live in the city. The State needs to drive new builds for purchase, because it will not happen otherwise. We also need affordable homes to purchase and rent. The Minister innovated by introducing affordable cost rental. It had never been done before. We were told it could not be done. He did it. He legislated for it, and made it a reality for thousands of people who are already moving into their homes.

If the Cathaoirleach will indulge me, I will also mention the adaptive reuse of vacant commercial properties. A minimum 17% of commercial properties are vacant in Dublin city at the moment. People are not coming back into offices. It has been done in other cities. I ask the Minister to set up a task force to drive adaptive reuse of commercial properties.

Objecting to planning is a morally bankrupt activity. There are 12,000 people in emergency accommodation, including 4,000 children. Anybody who is objecting to housing being built today is morally bankrupt.