I recently undertook a housing survey across the State. There is more information in it than in everything the Minister or Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, said earlier because these are the facts. I will give the Minister a few facts. Some 83% of people said they had maintenance issues with black mould all over their houses. Some 77% of people said they had damp. They are major issues. Black mould, damp and cold in homes can do damage to people, including young people, people with asthma, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, and people with disabilities. Dublin City Council and other city councils are trying to increase rents. People have to leave their heating on constantly and Ministers have said summer is coming. It does not matter if it is winter or summer; the flats are cold all year round because they have not been retrofitted or regenerated. The Minister has come in with facts and figures. Deputy McDonald and I asked the Minister, to come to the flats in the inner cities of Dublin and Cork to see what people have to put up with. I have been in some flat complexes in Dublin and met residents and it is the same in Cork. The conditions are horrendous. These are proud people from proud communities who keep their houses immaculate. They try to do everything right but if the windows are falling out, the doors are loose and there is no insulation or proper heating, what are they supposed to do? Some of these flats are 80 or 90 years old. The Minister has said the Government will do something and then tried to blame local authorities, the council and residents. The Minister is trying to blame everyone. He is the Minister and is part of the Government. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have never given a damn about working class people or cared about people who live in flats because they never voted for them. They have abandoned and betrayed them for years. I live on Cathedral Road. Behind me is Mary Aikenhead. The houses are freezing cold. In Blackpool, Castleknock or Baker's Road, there are freezing cold homes. What is the Minister doing? He is blaming everyone instead of doing his job.

Sentiment score: -0.08