Agreed.

In answer to this point, I provide accommodation and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that.

I speak on behalf of the people involved in Airbnb short-term lets. A statement from the EU stated that the Irish Government was wrong in the persecution and torment it is putting those people under. The local authorities throughout the country that are dealing with planning permissions want valid applications from people looking for permission to do short-term lets because they have been directed by the Government and others who think that 12,000 people are going to change from short-term lets to long-term lets. T…

Shame upon you.

It is a fact.

In County Kerry, which I represent, we have 172 voids, which are empty houses. Why are these not being tackled and put into use? When local authority houses become available, why are they not put back into use within, at the most, a month? Houses like that should be turned around in five to six weeks and new people should be put into them. Deputies in this Dáil attack property owners. I have heard more rubbish in here today from people who are serial objectors themselves. They have objected to thousands of houses b…

Agreed.

In answer to this point, I provide accommodation and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that.

I too also warmly welcome any measures that will result in a decrease in the cost of installing solar panels. I do not see any good reason in the world all the roofs we have on all the buildings in the country, whether on private dwelling houses or farm buildings, should not have solar panels on them. This would be a sensible aim for the Government and all of us to be promoting. It would certainly be a help in the long term in reducing people's energy costs and a sensible and affordable solution, given proper suppo…

I want to raise a point of clarification, which will be very brief, 30 seconds, to be clear on the timeframe of what happened. The Minister was prudent and did his job properly. He went to Cabinet, made his announcement and gave clarity. What actually happened and caused chaos the length and breadth of the country was that another Minister tried to upstage him by going a couple of days beforehand and making the announcement, trying to be ahead of the Minister for Finance.

Just to be clear, that is what happened. One Minister tried to upstage the Minister for Finance and he caused chaos.

It is a fact.

On a point of information: it is perfectly normal and good animal husbandry to cut banbhs' tails and to cut the tails off of terriers. That has to be done for the betterment of the animals. I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will appreciate that bit of clarity. With regard to the BIK measure, when the Government made the announcement a number of months ago, it created a great deal of upset among companies and the users of motor vehicles. The whole idea of what needs to happen in the future with regard to EVs is that it …

It is crazy. You could not make up that there is a massive underspend in housing while we are in the middle of the biggest housing crisis we have ever seen. In my time in politics and doing the clinics I have never seen people in such distress as they are in at present. Quite simply, there is not enough supply. It is known that there would not be a supply because those in the private household domestic market where people had a second house, who were in it as a business or were accidental additional property owners…

More than 12,000 people are homeless. The housing policy has been failing for more than 14 years. The health system is in turmoil. Nearly 1 million people are on a waiting list for hospital procedures. There are nonsensical green agendas to the detriment of rural Ireland. The Government is seeking to reduce the national herd, which will cripple the farming sector – the very backbone of this country. There is a complete abandonment of our fishing sector, in particular our inshore fishermen. That is the Government's …

I would not rely on the Labour Party to do anything.

I will raise a horrible practice which has become more and more evident. I refer to the practice of Deputies and councillors in the Taoiseach's party, in parties supporting the Government and in the Opposition - although the Taoiseach might not be able to do much about people in Opposition - objecting to people building homes. In my opinion, it is not normal behaviour for an individual in this House to object to 5,000 homes being built in his or her constituency. That is not normal. The effect and result of such an…

It is ironic that we are debating housing again here this evening when An Bord Pleanála is being investigated and is before the courts, which matter I will obviously not get into. However, it has to be highlighted that there have been many cases over the years of inspectors deciding, on looking at planning files, to grant planning permission for various developments only for the applications to be dashed and destroyed by a group of people – it might comprise only three – at ad hoc , informal meetings up in Dublin. …

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, for being here and the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this important issue to be raised. I acknowledge the good work of councillors from all parties and none on Kerry County Council. Of course, I thank Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae for his efforts in this regard because this is a very important subject. National and local policy is directing people in a certain direction. There is an idea among some people - I am not saying I am all in favour of it - that they want p…

That is not an exhaustive list. That is just to give a flavour of the places that do not have a wastewater treatment facility. As recently as when the county development plan was being discussed, the county councillors there were saying that they want wastewater treatment facilities to be put in place to allow these places to grow and that people will be able to build their houses and connect to a main sewer. But Irish Water is saying, and it is justified in saying it, that it is not their responsibility because th…