Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Government takes the housing crisis extremely seriously. It is the biggest societal challenge we face. It is an intergenerational challenge that causes significant anxiety across the country. The Deputy knows we take it seriously and he knows some of the figures he never mentions when he stands up to speak on this issue. That is his prerogative. We now live in a country where more than 300 homes are going to construction every working day. More than 500 people, including individuals and couples, buy their first home every week. Contrary to the assertion the Deputy made, we are seeing the largest number of social houses allocated in my lifetime. You have to go back to the 1970s to find a higher figure. The Deputy gives the impression with his narrative that none of this is happening. Commencements, completions and planning permissions are up. There are now real reasons to believe we can credibly lift the scale of ambition. I agree with the Deputy that we need to lift the scale of ambition with regard to the number of homes we wish to build in the course of the next five years. I say with respect that the Deputy is somewhat wrapping himself in the Housing Commission report even though I do not believe he agrees with all its recommendations. If he does, that would represent a significant policy shift on his part because it talks about the need to support small landlords and to have private development and private funding of development. I have not heard the Deputy advocate for either in this House.

Yesterday, the Government agreed the draft national planning framework. That, coupled with the ESRI research that was published last week, will enable us to set new housing targets this autumn. We absolutely look forward to debating how those housing targets will be delivered and exceeded with everyone in the House. Respectfully, when the Deputy referred to the figure of €5 billion he was being a little disingenuous because, as everyone knows, the summer economic statement only outlines spending from the Exchequer. It does not include any planned activity by the Land Development Agency, LDA, which we have already capitalised significantly. It does not provide any indication of funding for the Housing Finance Agency, HFA, or the funding available through the European Investment Bank. While it might be anathema to the Deputy, it also does not include the fact that private developers and builders will also build homes and that is okay too. It is not only the State that builds houses and it is not only the direct Exchequer that funds the building of houses. The Government has provided capital funding for housing in 2024, coupled with the LDA and the HFA, as the Deputy acknowledged, in fairness to him, of a record €5 billion, the highest ever in the history of the State.

The Ministers for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Finance; and housing, the three parties in government and I fully accept we need to do more. We will do so by working with the Oireachtas in the autumn when we set out the housing targets.

See this speech in context