When are rents going to fall?
Sentiment score: 0.00
They are scared of the Minister and rising rents.
Sentiment score: -0.44
I made it very clear and the Minister knows that we have alternatives. We set out a State fund that would actually increase funding for, not vulture funds but public affordable housing. The Government is completely out of touch and the Minister is too, to be honest. He has been captured. He has gone into the Ministry for housing and been captured by the investor funds. This is how clear it is that he has been captured. His Department is taking part in an event that is being billed as a global meeting point for global investors. The Department is setting up an "Irish Pavilion" for executives from international investment houses alongside Ministers. The Minister is working with the institutional investors to bring more funding in here that will be used to build more build-to-rent units that people cannot afford, bring more vulture funds to buy up properties and apartment blocks. This housing approach has not worked. It is not going to work. It is absolutely disgraceful that the Government is introducing a measure that it knows will lead to higher rents. Will the Minister answer the following question: does he accept that these measures are going lead to higher rents? He is so disconnected from people. There is going to be significant public backlash to this because people will see what the reality is. It is a decision for investors funds and that is why the Government is allowing rents to rise.
Sentiment score: 0.10
That is not true. You actually lied in the election. You said you would build 40,000 homes. You never did it.
Sentiment score: -0.18
The headlines were true.
Sentiment score: 0.42
He will not even answer the question.
Sentiment score: 0.00
148. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention had been drawn to his Department’s involvement in the production of the housing-related video published by an organisation (details supplied) prior to speaking to the Oireachtas housing committee on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5063/26]
Sentiment score: 0.02
There was a significant public reaction to the video about moving in with family that was put up late last year. Will the Minister outline what role the Department of housing had in the production of that video and clarify when he first learned about the video?
Sentiment score: 0.10
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The Minister has still not clarified when he first knew of the video. Could he clarify that, please? At the housing committee when I asked him directly about it, he set out four times that the Department of housing did not have any involvement in the video. He repeated that three times. Can the Minister clarify now and make a statement that the Department of housing was involved in the video and was aware of it? I will ask the Minister very clearly: when did he first become aware this video was being produced?
Sentiment score: 0.11
It is about the Oireachtas and the record. The Minister said at the housing committee that the Department was not involved in it.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Department had no other involvement?
Sentiment score: -0.30
The story in the Irish Examiner was not true?
Sentiment score: -0.33
Sorry, yes. What was reported in the Irish Examiner mentioned senior officials in the Department. I am pushing this because we need to be honest in the Oireachtas record. If what was said at the housing committee is not true, that needs to be corrected. What was happening at the time was the Minister and the Department were trying to get away from a controversy.
Sentiment score: 0.11
Things were said that were not actually accurate. I would like the record to be corrected if the truth is, as the Irish Examiner reported, that the Department knew and senior officials as early as 11 August were aware of the script for the housing video and it was widely circulated among senior officials with comments and suggestions. It is also reported that the Minister's own special adviser had been consulted on content for the information in the campaign that included the video. Can the Minister clarify that his special adviser and the Department actually were aware a video was being produced and were consulted for information or is the information that was reported in the Irish Examiner untrue?
Sentiment score: 0.35
The Minister said at the housing committee-----
Sentiment score: 0.00
I said that was Fianna Fáil and not just the Minister.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I take that back. It was Fianna Fáil. However, the Minister is not correcting the record. The Department knew about it.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Is that a reference to the earlier remark?
Sentiment score: 0.00
I withdraw the remark specifically about the Minister misleading the House but not the remark in relation to misleading the people in the general election.
Sentiment score: -0.66
No, I said-----
Sentiment score: -0.30
I will check the Official Report. I believe I said, "misleading the people" and not the House.
Sentiment score: -0.20