Long-term national housing policy
Senator Burke calls for a long-term housing-ownership strategy that avoids another property bubble, while supporting constructive review of location-based public-service allowances.
There was no national policy on the issue. We need to put in place a long-term national housing policy. I am speaking in this regard not only of local authority housing. As I stated earlier, the biggest cost in life is the cost of buying a house.
Comment on this
We should have a debate on where we want to be in five, ten or 20 years' time in terms of house ownership and how we are to move forward while ensuring we do not create a housing bubble of the type previously created. Some gardaí based in Dublin were given allowances on the basis of it being more expensive to reside there. While there is a need to review allowances, this must be done in a constructive manner, which is what the Minister is trying to do. This issue comes within the remit of the Croke Park agreement. We need to examine the reasons the allowances were given in the first instance and the reason the cost of renting and housing was allowed increase beyond the reach of ordinary people. In 2006-07 a teacher and a garda, combining both salaries, could not afford to purchase a house in Dublin. We need to put in place a long term housing plan for the country.