I welcome the opportunity to speak on these statements. Businesses are struggling with a cost-of-doing-business crisis, workers are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis and both need to be supported. Unfortunately, instead of helping both, the Government has put forward a support package which pits business against business and business against workers. It has been clear for some time that supports for businesses must be forthcoming. For nearly a year, Sinn Féin has called for the Government to engage with indus…

I join my colleague an Teachta Cullinane in saying it is very disappointing the senior Minister is not here. This is an important matter, it is Opposition time and it is a time when the Opposition have, or should have, a chance to address senior Ministers directly. It is very disappointing he could not make himself available for this. I listened with some interest to the Minister of State's speech. I am a fan of fiction so it was possibly not as painful for me as it was for some. However, he has to be living on a d…

It affects consultants.

After 13 years of Fine Gael in government homeownership has collapsed, with 40% of people under 34 left living with their parents. Despite promising 50,000 affordable homes for under €250,000, in my constituency of Dublin Fingal, the Fianna Fáil Minister with responsibility for housing is delivering so-called affordable homes that will cost more than €550,000 over the lifetime of the mortgage. This is not affordable for anyone on a normal wage. It is barely affordable for people on a massive wage. The Government's …

It is just the one I asked about, a Cheann Comhairle. Does the Taoiseach think €550,000 is affordable?

I thank the Taoiseach.

It is on the website. The Government called it an affordable home.

I got the answer.

I did.

You said it was not affordable. That was the answer I was looking for.

It is rare enough that we get an answer, and I got one.

Five hundred and fifty thousand euro is not affordable and the Taoiseach has confirmed it.

The Government is pushing up prices.

Affordability is important.

Affordability is important.

The Tánaiste was asked a question about house prices.

It is not; it is accelerating.

It was a very simple question.

It is Leaders' Questions.

Where are the houses?