Last night during a debate with Sinn Féin's Deputy Ó Broin, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, claimed that we do not have a housing emergency. It was incredible stuff and, therefore, I will share with the Taoiseach just some of the hundreds of accounts from people who have been in touch with us in the past 24 hours - victims of the housing emergency.

Christopher tells us:

I'm living in rental accommodation. I work full time in the defence forces, my partner works part time as we cannot afford full time childcare. Will never ever be able to afford a house with prices this high. At my wit's end. I genuinely have to hold back tears some days out of pure frustration at the state of things.

Tracy tells us:

I Had to take an overdraft so I can pay the mortgage every month. I can't afford oil for heating. We’re ripped off. I’m considering moving to New Zealand.

Christine's story is as follows:

I got 6 months’ notice to leave after 9 years renting. I’ve 4 ... [children all] under 10. I've been on the housing list for several years. Council ... [tell] me there are no houses and to start asking ... family. I’m so stressed I’ve had to go on medication. I work hard. I feel so let down. My heart is broken thinking my ... [children] might not have a home.

Aoife tells us:

Myself, my husband & 3 kids have lived with my mother for nearly 5 years now. We make too much money for social housing and WAY too little to own our own home. Our only hope would be affordable housing. We couldn’t afford to rent. We feel like our lives have been on hold for so long now. We pay all our taxes and bills. We truly are the working poor & hidden homeless.

Cillian says:

I am 28 years old, ... [I live] in a house-share. I have a good job, ... [but] at this age I [had] hoped to my own place. The house I’m in is overcrowded and damp. I hate going home ...[from] work, but I have no prospect of finding a nicer place. I’m very much considering moving away for a better life. I know [there are] people are worse off than me, but my current situation is [so] depressing.

Kate tells us:

We’re back living with my parents along with two children. We are saving for a house, but prices are crazy. We both have good jobs but [we are] not massive earners. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer in September, we considered moving out and renting again to give my parents space. 17 applications were sent and not one response! My eldest child is so insecure about not having our own house and it causes huge worries for him and us.

There the Taoiseach has it. This is just a small sample of the real stories of Government's collective failure in housing - a father is close to tears every day; a mother on medication to cope with the stress; young people feeling depressed and looking to emigrate; children wracked with anxiety and fear; and families living in a state of panic. Deir an Taoiseach nach éigeandáil tithíochta í seo ach ní thagann an tuairim sin le fíorscéal na ndaoine. The claim made that this is not a housing emergency is painfully out of touch with the reality of people’s lives. If this is not a disaster, what is it? If this is not a social catastrophe, what is it? If this is not a housing emergency - as the Minister claims - what is it?

I have been very consistent in this House in saying repeatedly that housing is the single most urgent and important social issue facing our society at this time. Since the Government has come into office, we have focused razor-like on the housing issue. The evidence supports this with the new schemes that have been brought in, construction and so on, but I will deal with that in a moment. The Deputy should be in no doubt the Government sees housing as the key priority. It is a pillar of the programme for Government and much has been done over the past two and a half years, notwithstanding the impact of the lockdowns during Covid-19, of which there were two.

We came out of those lockdowns to the war in Ukraine and an inflationary cycle that greatly increased building material costs but we got to grips with that through the work of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy McGrath, on public tendering and reform to give confidence back to the sector to continue to invest in housing. We are increasing the supply of housing and will continue to do so. The plan is working. We all accept the challenges facing people but the answer is to build more houses and get supply up, along with a range of other policies. I have said repeatedly that I have seen no alternative to Housing for All from the Deputy's party or anybody else. I have not seen it in substance, detail or additional recommendations that would go over and above what the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has introduced. Those are the realities.

The latest home completion data from the CSO show the country is well on track in exceeding the Housing for All plan for 2022. We will go over 24,600 towards the end of this year. Some 28,000 homes were built in the 12 months to September 2022. Some 21,000 houses were completed in the first nine months of this year and we hope to go over the target that we set ourselves. The plan is working but we need to build more houses, more quickly.

There were more than 16,000 first-time buyers in the past 12 months. That is the highest since 2007 and represents 33% of all house purchases. House completions, commencements, permissions, home purchases, first-time buyers and mortgage draw-downs are all up to record levels. We have had the highest housing delivery since 2008; the highest commencements on record; the highest planning permissions, the highest number of first-time buyers since 2007; and the highest number of homebuyers since 2008.

We have also pushed strongly ahead with social housing. Some 18,390 new social homes have been added to the social housing stock under the Government to the end of quarter 2 of 2022, including 11,301 new builds. We have brought 5,000 social homes back into use under the voids programme. We are also concluding the review of a fundamental overhaul of our planning code, because delivery of housing is key, as is the delivery mechanism in respect of objections to housing projects and the slowness of delivery in many councils over many years. O'Devaney Gardens, Oscar Traynor Road - you name it - have taken too long.

Skehard Road.

Fianna Fáil objected.

There were ridiculous objections and so forth. We have the Croí Cónaithe fund. Sixteen Acts have been passed in this House. The Minister has brought 16 pieces of legislation on housing through this Dáil. We have capped the rent increases in rent pressure zones at-----

I thank the Taoiseach.

-----no more than 2% per annum. There has been an extraordinary burst of activity over the last two and a half years under the Minister. That cannot be taken from him. It is real and substantial.

The highest rents, highest house prices and highest levels of homelessness - that is the reality of the Government's record.

Hear, hear.

Here is Karen, who is in her early 20s. She says she has been with her boyfriend for six years and they are still living with parents in a box room. They just want to start their own life and are just waiting for something to get better. It is so hard, she says. Michael says:

We are a working family with 2 children. Renting for 21 years. We’ve been given a notice of termination. We have no idea where we are going next. We can't afford to buy, and we can't afford to rent. We are not even eligible for council housing since we are above threshold. The future is so unsure.

Does the Taoiseach accept that this is a catastrophe? Does he accept that we are living through a housing emergency? If, like his Minister, he does not accept that, it would go a very long way to explaining the Government's abject failure to meet the housing needs of people. I will ask the Taoiseach a straight question. I have given him just a sample of the stories. This is a housing emergency, is it not?

I am not going to play the Deputy's populist game.

It is not populist to accept there is an emergency.

Answer the question.

Cop yourself on.

That is a hard "No".

Sinn Féin is essentially populist in its approach to issues. I have stated my position on housing. I used my definitions and I said it is the greatest and most important and urgent social problem facing this country. I have said that repeatedly. Deputy McDonald is not going to put words in my mouth.

The Taoiseach is not going to put roofs over people's heads.

What I will say to her, through the Chair, is that we do not understate the seriousness for many people out there.

Your Minister-----

I listened to the Deputy for four minutes plus and not one single solution or one single proposal came from her in respect of this. When we put forward the first home scheme, for example-----

This is incredible. The Taoiseach is dismissing the voices of people in housing distress.

-----it was opposed by Sinn Féin.

He is dismissing the voices of people in housing distress.

Allow the Taoiseach to continue, please.

While the various schemes that the-----

That is shocking.

Shocking.

Through the Chair, this is the same tactic all the time.

Shame on you.

I did not interrupt Deputy McDonald when she spoke but inevitably now the tactic is to interrupt my good self or others when we are making comments.

Only when you dismiss the real-life experience of the people-----

Saying I have dismissed-----

-----suffering under your failed housing policies.

That is more of the populism.

Sinn Féin voted against the help-to-buy scheme.

You are an absolute disgrace.

That is the classic populist trope that Deputy Ó Broin has just articulated.

It is not populist to bring the stories of people to this Chamber.

It absolutely is.

Táim ag bogadh ar aghaidh.

It is trying to suggest we are somehow not empathising people who are in difficulty with housing.

The Taoiseach did not even respond to one of those real-life case studies.

The only way to respond is to build houses.

You need to get on with it.

How many have you opposed, Deputy Ó Broin?

When you look at Clonliffe Road-----

We are over time.

-----the Deputy opposite feels free to oppose-----

Tá mé ag bogadh ar aghaidh go dtí Páirtí an Lucht Oibre.

I just want to make a point.

It is everybody else’s fault but yours and your Minister's. You are in charge; take responsibility.

The party opposite is a serial opposer of housing all the time.

The Taoiseach is living in a bubble.

Clonliffe Road is one of them.

I have been standing for at least a minute. I am not going to continue. There are interruptions on both sides. If we could, with respect, move on and listen to the speaker. Otherwise, I will not continue. I simply will not. An Teachta Bacik, más é do thoil é.