Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I echo the sentiments of several of my colleagues by requesting the presence of the Minister for housing as a matter of urgency. Housing was the stand-out issue during the term of the previous Government and will be again in the lifetime of the current Government. There are obviously outstanding issues. It was heartening this morning to hear positive numbers for the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which is gathering momentum. Donegal is the county with the highest take-up of the scheme. At a parliamentary party meeting, the current Taoiseach tried to lay claim to the project. He said he had a Eureka moment when he was walking around west Cork. I had to remind him that every rural councillor came up with the same idea over the past generation. Either way, we have a good scheme, although we need to review it. Auctioneers will tell you that the starting point for a valuation for any derelict or old property in rural Ireland is €70,000 before they even look at it. That is fuelled by the scheme. Equally, construction costs have soared. There is momentum building behind the scheme and there is considerable interest in it because it is one of the quickest, most secure, easiest and most cost beneficial ways to get a new home or a starter home in Ireland at the moment. It is great for rural communities because it brings life back to them. However, we urgently need to review the scheme. If we are going to review it, we must send out a clear message to let people know that a review is coming, that it will be timely and we will make a quick decision in that regard. On that point and in respect of other housing issues, I want the Minister for housing to come to the Chamber as soon as possible.