Housing data and central coordination
James O'Connor suggests housing policy should be coordinated under one central structure, similar to past national plans, to tackle the crisis more effectively. The Tánaiste agrees the issue needs all levers pulled together and says the new housing Cabinet committee and revised Housing for All plan can consider the idea.
I want to ask the Tánaiste about housing data that came out in recent days. It is, to some degree, worrying. Twice in the State's history in the past 15 years, we had two comprehensive national plans - the national economic recovery plan in 2011 and the State's response to Covid - where everything came in under one roof to try to solve the issue. Is this something that could be looked at in the new programme for Government, under the guise of infrastructure or through the Department of the Taoiseach, to try to get responsibility in one area because we know in government that when it is the responsibility of everybody, it is the responsibility of nobody? Is this a way in which this could be fixed or improved upon?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for the constructive suggestion. It is what many people right across the country are asking, namely: can we pull everybody together and get all the levers that are necessary to address what is still a housing emergency in Ireland? The new Cabinet committee on housing will meet for the first time under this Government next week, I think, on Monday. We are also committed to publishing a revised Housing for All plan as part of that and we can take that suggestion on board.
The Deputy is correct. Whoever the Minister for housing is and whatever the Department, there are other levers that need to be pulled. The lack of wastewater treatment plants is a real constraint on delivery in rural Ireland and smaller towns. That is an area we want to make progress on.
There are enablers, as the Deputy pointed out, in the delivery of housing. I will certainly discuss the Deputy's suggestion with the Taoiseach.