This does not apply just to education but to anybody living and working in Dublin or in the major cities in respect of any profession. One cannot single out just one profession. There is no doubt but there are challenges and that people will opt for a lower rent situation that would meet their personal requirements if they can get it. Until we get supply to a really significant level, we will continue to be in difficulty here. We will look at other measures, such as through tax measures, to alleviate the pressures …

I attended a meeting of the European Council on Thursday, 23 June, and Friday, 24 June, in Brussels. The meeting was preceded by a meeting of European Union and western Balkans leaders, in which I also participated, and was followed by a meeting of the Euro summit, at which leaders were joined by the President of the ECB and the President of the Eurogroup. It was the fifth meeting of the European Council since Russia began its full-scale war on Ukraine on 24 February. We discussed a number of dimensions of the war …

Admhaím go bhfuil géarchéim ann ó thaobh cúrsaí tithíochta. Is príomhaidhm an Rialtais é i bhfad níos mó tithe a thógáil agus a chur ar fáil. Níl aon amhras ach go bhfuil deacrachtaí faoi leith ag múinteoirí agus ag an-chuid daoine eile maidir le cúrsaí tithíochta. Tá plean cuimsitheach ag an Rialtas chun déileáil leis an ngéarchéim seo. Níl an Rialtas ann ach ar feadh dhá bhliain ach tá an-chuid bainte amach againn le linn an dá bhliain sin. I have said consistently since being elected as Taoiseach that housing is…

I did give my assessment. I have made it consistently clear that housing is the number one priority. The Government is two years in office. It has produced a very comprehensive Housing for All strategy designed to ramp up house construction in this country, particularly social housing. We will have a record number of social houses built in 2022.

We will also provide additional affordable homes. The first home shared equity scheme will help teachers.

It will help many people in terms of affordability. The scheme has been launched. Many people are already applying to join the scheme. The help-to-buy scheme has also been very effective for many people who have genuine, challenging situations with regard to affordability. It is not just teachers. It is many other professions and workers as well.

I know you did but I am making the point. This is a broader issue.

We have to solve an issue with housing.

I know there are similar problems in the North.

Sinn Féin's housing Minister in the North said it would take ten years to resolve it.

That was Sinn Féin's position in charge of housing.

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. The background is very clear, as she will be aware. In May 2018, the Irish people voted, overwhelmingly, to repeal the eighth amendment. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was introduced in December of that year, in line with the amendment and the debate. It is important to make that point. An all-party Oireachtas committee worked through the complexities of the legislation. There is a requirement under that Act to ensure a wid…

It is important that we examine the review in its full context and take on board all of the research that will be undertaken to feed into the review. There is further work to be done. I am satisfied the Minister is bringing forward the general scheme of a Bill on safe access zones. That is important, but getting it legally right was also important, as was getting the template right from a legal perspective. We should also be conscious that others who are perhaps not covered had different experiences with how the Ac…

It is no surprise to me that Sinn Féin and People Before Profit together will work very hard to have a motion of no confidence passed. They are working hand in glove on many of these issues in opposition to the Government. I put it to the Deputy that People Before Profit's economic platform, and Sinn Féin's, is one that would undermine the capacity of many working people to afford a lot of things because-----

-----the anti-enterprise agenda of Sinn Féin and People Before Profit will undermine workers' incomes.

The bottom line is this Government has delivered an exceptionally strong economic recovery.

The truth hurts, Deputy Ó Broin. The Deputy is not the leader of his party and should allow Deputy Boyd Barrett to speak. I know Sinn Féin wants to take over and subsume People Before Profit into Sinn Féin but the least he can do now is to allow Deputy Boyd Barrett to have his say.

The point I am making is that the Government has delivered an exceptionally strong economic recovery, with the fastest jobs growth in the European Union. The bottom line is that 2.5 million people are employed. That is significant in the context of people's capacity to deal with exceptional cost-of-living issues. Rent is too high in this country. Deputy Boyd Barrett's Bill would make matters worse.

It is a simplistic response. It is classic People Before Profit to produce legislation that will not work. The Deputy knows it will not work but it is popular, populist and non-implementable.

There would be a complete flood of people out of the market.