Aviation policy and State funds
Deputies McNamara, O'Callaghan and Mac Lochlainn pressed for a debate on aviation policy and on State investment through funds buying houses and driving up rents. They argued the Government should bring ministers in to answer for both aviation recovery and housing finance decisions.
When are we going to have a debate on what the State's aviation policy is? When can we even find out what it is? There are announcements from the Tánaiste every day that contradict each other. There are announcements from all the members of the Taoiseach's Cabinet that contradict each other constantly. We do not have an aviation policy or aviation recovery plan. We need one before it is too late. It is already too late for my constituency. The Taoiseach's is next. He might not care much about the rest of the country but if he cares about his own legacy-----
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He talks about Fianna Fáil. One thing Fianna Fáil built was Shannon Airport but the Taoiseach is going to take it down around him.
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I support the proposal by Deputy Duncan Smith on aviation.
I wrote to the Business Committee this week looking for time for the Minister for Finance to come to the Dáil to answer questions on the hundreds of millions of euro in State funds that are being used to invest in investment funds that are buying up houses, pushing up rents and driving out first-time buyers.
The Minister for Finance has refused and declined to answer questions, with €500 million going to Activate Capital, which is involved in this, so he should come into the House to answer questions on this.
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I support the request made by Deputy Cian O'Callaghan. The Minister should absolutely come into the Chamber this week to deal with that matter. It is repugnant to the families who have been squeezed out of the housing market that that has happened.
I want to put on the record that all of the parties at the Business Committee last Thursday asked that we would get back to the Dáil Chamber. We need to get our Dáil business back there. The reality is that Deputies are present at Leinster House and the Convention Centre on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so there are no public health grounds remaining at this stage to keep us in the Convention Centre, certainly on Tuesday and Thursday. Hopefully that will be resolved this Thursday.