No, it is not the truth. The first point I would make is the overall context of this budget is that as we are emerging, we hope, from the pandemic, and there are still some challenges so we are not out of the woods yet regarding Covid-19, but the vaccination programme and the phased reopening of the economy and society have meant a more accelerated economic recovery than anybody anticipated two or three months ago. That is of value to everybody in society, including renters. Between 2021 and 2022, we are looking at…

The Deputy is wrong and he knows it. The only way to deal with the rental situation is to build houses and provide houses for Mairéad and all the people he mentioned. Ultimately, the only way to deal with this is to build far more social houses than we have built before and far more affordable houses than we have built before. The Deputy is not in favour of the affordable housing approach.

He is not. He has opposed projects left, right and centre because they did not have the right mix for the representatives on the councils and so on.

That is opposition. Does the Deputy not get that if we do not get supply fast, it could hold up projects for four or five years? That is doing more damage to renters than anything else.

I can count up to 6,000 units that have been opposed by the people opposite. That is political hypocrisy at the end of the day.

We need supply in social housing at a scale we have not done going back maybe to the 1930s, 1950s, 1960s or 1970s. We need to go back to that and get substantial social housing built. We also need to get affordable houses built as well. We need private sector development for the building of houses as well so we can reduce the dependency on the rental market on which, unfortunately, so many people depend.

On the question of rent control, we have been told that a freeze would be unconstitutional. It is easy to keep shouting we should freeze rents for three years but we are being told it cannot be done.

I thank Deputy Grealish for raising this matter because it is extremely important for people to have a genuine sense of security and a feeling of safety in their communities and homes. It is a priority for the Government and the Minister for Justice. We are striving to provide that safety by engaging with communities, reducing crime, tackling recidivism and supporting victims. I am aware of recent media coverage relating to the operation of the bail system. The Deputy knows the decision to grant bail in a particula…

It is a matter of grave concern that serial reoffending, and people offending while on bail, causes immense anger to people and the community at large. That is very well put. Again, it is a matter we have to keep under review because many serious cases and issues have arisen while people were out on bail and serious crimes were committed. The general scheme of a criminal legal aid Bill is currently being prepared. The key purpose of that general scheme will be to transfer the administration of the criminal legal ai…

The budget introduced by this Government marks a decisive moment when our country moves forward to rebuild and renew after a once-in-a-century pandemic. It is a progressive budget, which will underpin economic recovery and return 400,000 people to work. It will deliver the largest package of income support in more than a decade. In the face of worldwide rises in costs, it provides assistance to the vast majority of our people. On top of this, it marks a further decisive investment in health, housing, education and …

Maybe the Minister can say something similar to what he said at Cabinet.

I beg your pardon.

We are not talking.

Just because Deputy Carthy-----

First of all, I reject the assertions of the Deputy in terms of the essence of this Government's housing policy, which is very much focused on affordable homes, contrary to the position of the party opposite on affordable housing in recent years because it has consistently opposed home ownership. It has voted against every affordability measure at every turn. In particular, it opposed the help-to-buy scheme that has helped 22,000 people to get onto the property market. It opposed more than 6,000 homes in Dublin Cit…

We knew that.

It has not been a surprise all year.

It is not, and it should not be to the Deputy.

The Deputy has been involved in all the housing debates all year. She knows exactly the situation.

With the greatest respect, what I think is scandalous is that the Deputy's party opposed 975 homes that were due to be built in Clondalkin, of which 20% were social housing. I think it is scandalous that her party opposed 500 homes in Tallaght, of which 80% would be social or affordable purchase homes. I think it is scandalous that her party opposed 278 homes in Swords. It voted against 1,200 social, affordable and private homes in Ballymastone and Donabate. That is what is scandalous - the hypocrisy that emanates …