Late in the day as it is and hollow sounding as it is, will the Taoiseach's claim that housing is now the Government's priority lead to any actual change in the disastrous policy that has led us to the housing crisis we are experiencing? There seems to be a grudging acknowledgement of what an absolute disaster Fine Gael and Labour made by allowing these vulture funds to come in and take over the housing sector. Will the Taoiseach follow through on the growing awareness of what a disaster that was by not allowing those same interests into the public land bank via the Land Development Agency Bill 2021? As it is currently constituted, the latter would effectively let the fox into the henhouse. I refer to the fox that wrecked the private housing sector being let into the public land bank. Will the Taoiseach realise the mistakes of the past and ensure that these vultures and cuckoos do not get into the public land bank through the legislation in question and will he accept amendments to the Bill to that effect?

There the Deputy goes again. He is going to stop that Bill now as well, or try to stop it. That Bill is needed, we need to get it through. Why? It is because we need to use State land to get houses built. Supply is the big issue here. The State is providing the largest social housing programme in its history. This year and over the next five years, we will also support the building, through serviced site funds, etc., of affordable houses. The State will be involved in getting those built for people as well. Therefore, the State is now the big player. I repeat that the State - the Government - is now the biggest player in the housing market. That is the reality, but we have to do more than that and there has to be a role for the private sector. We have to get builders out there building also, because we are not building enough houses.

They will be looked after well enough.

There were 20,000 built last year. Covid-19 has already stopped us building for three months this year. We might be lucky to get more than 20,000 houses built. We need supply.

I thank the Taoiseach. The time is up. I am sorry, but that concludes Questions on Promised Legislation, with 13 listed Deputies who had every expectation of getting in being unsuccessful in doing so. We may ask the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil Reform to look at the length of time of interventions on the Order of Business, because they are consuming a lot of time.