I am disappointed I see the Government benches are so empty today but equally those who waxed lyrical not so long ago in this House, who chastised the Government in their speeches, I see their benches are also empty for what is the biggest crisis facing this country. While I agree we need to fix the housing crisis, the plan put forward by the Labour Party - I thank my colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward - is based on what I regard as bad ideas. The Labour Party wants to remove the private investor from housing-----

Sentiment score: -0.12

-----but it does not want to explain how it will be replaced. Will it increase taxes or simply borrow more? I listened to some of the Labour Party speakers. One would almost think Labour was not in the Government in the last couple of years but the Labour Party held the portfolio not so long ago.

Sentiment score: 0.30

In my constituency of Cork North-Central-----

Sentiment score: 0.00

The truth is bitter, lads.

Sentiment score: -0.13

In my constituency of Cork North-Central, my constituents are struggling with rising rents, long waiting lists and lack of accommodation. People are talking about who we are going to blame. Ae we going to blame Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Independents but until we get together in this House and work on solving this crisis without blaming or attacking one another-----

Sentiment score: -0.27

-----without shouting one another down - that will do nothing for the father living in his car tonight, depending on Wi-Fi from a hotel while working 50 hours a week. It is not going to help the constituent who came to my office last week, who spoke to me about the full-time job he is doing and yet living out of a car. It is not helping the mother in Cork city who is going into the housing department to be told, "Sorry, there is nothing for you, go into a homeless crisis centre with your children". It is not going to help those couples who lost their houses between 2008 and 2014, are now back in employment after losing their businesses, renting privately and can afford to pay the rent but are approaching the age of 65. What will happen when they retire? They will be back on the housing list. We are compounding the problem and bringing more people back onto our housing list. We are not addressing it. We are too busy. Parties in this Chamber are too busy attacking one another, looking for publicity rather than trying to fix the crisis. For God's sake lads, you are a disgrace.

Sentiment score: -0.28