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Vol. 1010 Tuesday, No. 1 6 July 2021 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) /2021A00100Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders’ Questions 2 06/07/2021D01000An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business 12 06/07/2021J00900Standing Orders: Motion 22 06/07/2021J01200Ceisteanna - Questions 23 06/07/2021J01250Cabinet Committees 23 06/07/2021L00150Departmental Bodies ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������27 06/07/2021N00150Northern Ireland �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������31 06/07/2021O00200Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence: Statements 35 06/07/2021AA00200Ábhair Shaincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Matters 62 06/07/2021AA00400Ban on Rent Increases Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] 62 06/07/2021NN00450Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������90 06/07/2021NN00475Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions 90 06/07/2021NN00500Guardian Status 90 06/07/2021OO00650Departmental Schemes 92 06/07/2021PP00200Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������94 06/07/2021PP01500Early Childhood Care and Education 96 06/07/2021QQ00550Early Childhood Care and Education 98 06/07/2021RR00350Early Childhood Care and Education 100 06/07/2021SS00050Direct Provision System 102 06/07/2021SS00750Direct Provision System 104 06/07/2021TT00450Childcare Services 106 06/07/2021UU00300Departmental Strategies 108 06/07/2021UU01100Adoption Services 109 06/07/2021VV00800Direct Provision System 112 06/07/2021WW00400International Protection 113 06/07/2021WW01100Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate 115 06/07/2021WW01200Covid-19 Pandemic Supports 115 06/07/2021XX00500Covid-19 Pandemic 118 06/07/2021ZZ00300Covid-19 Pandemic 121 06/07/2021AAA00250Rural Schemes 123 06/07/2021BBB00400Teachtaireacht ón Seanad - Message from Seanad 126 DÁIL ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 6 Iúil 2021 Tuesday, 6 July 2021 Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2 pm Paidir. Prayer. Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders’ Questions 06/07/2021A00200Deputy Mary Lou McDonald: The disgraceful practice of so-called cuckoo funds snap- ping up family homes in bulk, under the noses of ordinary workers and families, is an issue we have raised with the Taoiseach in the House many times Indeed, it is perhaps the most abhor- rent aspect of our broken housing system Of course, what is even worse is the practice of these funds snapping up those homes and then leasing them back to local authorities That is a triple whammy The funds get away scot-free, the taxpayer pays over the odds for social housing that we do not own, and families and young people are priced out of the market The Taoiseach told the Dáil that this practice would cease In fact, on 5 May, he said that no local authority should be engaged in leasing back homes from these funds He went on to say that this message should “go out loud and clear from Government” That was a fairly lofty pronouncement It is now clear that the message from Government is loud and clear and it is, in fact, a direct contradiction of what the Taoiseach said on 5 May Tomorrow night, it is the inten- tion of the Minister for Finance to introduce an amendment that will afford these funds another tax break to incentivise them to buy up family homes and lease them back to councils On the one hand, the Taoiseach told the Dáil that councils should not engage in long-term leases with institutional investors, but the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, is now actively encouraging it This is happening on the Taoiseach’s watch One really could not make this stuff up. The result of all of this, to be clear, is that aspiring home buyers will continue to be priced out of the market by institutional investors who avail of sweetheart tax breaks gifted to them by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and, lest we forget, by the Labour Party in its time If the Taoiseach really means what he said in May, he will insist that the Minister’s amendment to the Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 is scrapped He will not do that, however, because he is not serious about this and he never has been He is content to allow these funds to rip off our citizens. He has done nothing to rein this shower in and their sweetheart tax arrange- ments remain in situ Indeed, far from sorting this mess out, the Taoiseach is, in fact, adding to 2 6 July 2021 it at a time when families and young people cannot put a secure roof over their heads It is a free-for-all when it comes to apartments In 2019 alone, 95% of apartments built were acquired by these institutions at the expense of first-time buyers. Last year, six out of every seven homes built in the city of Dublin were apartments and these funds have carte blanche to snap up all of them in bulk The Government has surrendered our city to these vulture funds, to the detriment of ordinary workers and families Now it is pulling another stroke and attempt- ing another fast one by actively encouraging these funds to acquire houses and rip off the Irish taxpayer by exempting the funds from any tax hike Is it not time now to rip up this plan and start all over again? Is it not time for the Taoiseach to be true to his word? Is it not time to have effective remedies and stop these funds from snapping up apartments and houses under the noses of families and working citizens? 06/07/2021A00300The Taoiseach: First, I again reject the Deputy’s assertions in regard to Government hous- ing policy and our commitment to building social houses and, indeed, affordable houses, and providing the first cost-rental scheme in the evolution of State housing policy. The Minister has brought in a suite of measures and initiatives that the Deputy consistently ignores We have al- located more money to the building of houses this year than ever before in the country’s history There is a difference between my approach and that of the Deputy. She sees the housing crisis as a political opportunity; I see it as a major social problem that needs to be fixed. All her lan- guage today is about votes and elections That is all it is about It is about how she exploits the problem, not about finding solutions. She sees a lot of young people, as do all Members, who cannot get access to housing and she thinks how she can use their situation to generate anger and division and get political advantage That seems to be her approach and that of her party I look at the issue differently. I want to see how I, along with my Government colleagues, can resolve it Resolving it means a range of measures, principally direct building of housing, both social housing and affordable housing. To be fair, the Minister has brought in a suite of measures, including affordable housing schemes, which the Deputy has railed against. By the way, she has been quiet enough in terms of actually opposing them in here on the floor of the House She is saying one thing and articulating against the Minister a lot in respect of his af- fordable schemes She opposed the help-to-buy scheme, she is opposed to shared equity and she is opposed to the Land Development Agency, which will be launched shortly and is very important in terms of getting houses built The Government today approved a plan for Shanga- nagh, which will be a significant housing development in itself, both social and affordable. We are about action and getting things done I am interested in getting results in terms of getting houses built It is the most important task facing the Government and we have allocated sub- stantial funding to it That is how we are going to approach it The very clear focus of the housing for all strategy, which the Minister will be publishing and is being deliberated on at Cabinet level right