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The Taoiseach has defended Fine Gael\u2019s record on housing as he insisted there cannot be a return to \u201cboom-bust\u201d policies.<\/p>\nThe Taoiseach has defended Fine Gael\u2019s record on housing as he insisted there cannot be a return to \u201cboom-bust\u201d policies.<\/p>\n
Leo Varadkar said Fine Gael is committed to delivering all types of housing, both private and social, and he defended his party\u2019s nine years in Government.<\/p>\n
Asked if he is \u201cashamed\u201d of the Government\u2019s record on housing, he said: \u201cNo, I\u2019m not. Rather than being ashamed, I am encouraged by some of the progress that has been made in the past couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been in Government for the last nine years but the housing brief has only been held by my party for three and a half years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that period we have seen the number of new homes being built treble. We have seen us embark on what has been the biggest social housing program in many, many decades \u2013 to the extent that we\u2019re adding 10,000 homes to the social housing stock this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have also seen 15,000 people benefit from the Help-To-Buy scheme which means first-time buyers have been getting on the property ladder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot or flaws in our housing system, and one of the mistakes is that our construction and housing sector goes from boom, bust, boom, bust, boom, bust.<\/p>\n
\u201cNinety thousand houses built one year then a crash and then none built for several years, and then you have to try to rebuild them all again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I want to do is make sure we get it right this time and increase housing supply until it gets to a sustainable level of around 40,000. We don\u2019t want to see a return to boom-bust policies on housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar criticized Fianna F\u00e1il and other parties for \u201cjust throwing out\u201d housing policies.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe see that from the main opposition party \u2013 Fianna F\u00e1il. (Leader) Micheal Martin goes to a conference and says he is going to have a lower rate of VAT on some forms of housing and doesn\u2019t bother to check the EU directive which says you can\u2019t do that \u2013 or doesn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen he goes to another conference and says he is going to ensure that the Central Bank changes its mortgage rules. He either doesn\u2019t know or care that the Central Bank is independent under Irish and European law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen he throws out ideas on supporting rent controls, only for his party\u2019s housing spokesman to go on radio and say the Bill needs more work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Mr Martin said the confidence-and-supply deal between Fianna F\u00e1il and Fine Gael will become \u201cuntenable\u201d if a legislative program for the new year is not set out.<\/p>\n
But Mr Varadkar said he plans to meet with Mr Martin early in 2020 to agree on the legislative program.<\/p>\n
Mr Martin wrote to the Taoiseach and asked that they agree an election date, indicating the \u201csensible and logical option\u201d would be to agree a set of legislative priorities up until the Easter break.<\/p>\n
A general election is expected to be held in spring next year, with Mr Varadkar stating May would be his preferred month for the vote.<\/p>\n