Varadkar sets target to build 40,000 homes a year 

In his 30-minute address, the Fine Gael leader said housing is a human right but it means nothing just to say it or to write it into law. Picture: Douglas O’Connor

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says 40,000 new homes a year will be needed to meet a target to deliver 70% homeownership by the end of the decade.

In his keynote speech to mark the conclusion of the Fine Gael Ard Fheis, Mr Varadkar said owning a home is in the DNA of Irish people, but at present, it is a dream out of reach for far too many.

This dream, this promise, must again become a reality, he said.

“We must renew the social contract and make owning your own home a fundamental part of it. Tonight, I want to set a target of getting back to 70% homeownership by the end of the decade. This will require getting up to 40,000 new homes built every year, double where we are now,” he told delegates.

This will be done through public and private investment and championing the building of new communities and new homes, he said.

In his 30-minute address, the Fine Gael leader said housing is a human right but it means nothing just to say it or to write it into law. 

“This means voting for new housing not against it, it means stronger protections for renters, encouraging investment not chasing it away and helping first-time buyers to get a deposit and a mortgage. That is what Fine Gael does. Others talk. We build,” he said.

The additional €4bn in spending given to fund the health service to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic “should be retained” permanently, Mr Varadkar also said.

He said that the additional staff, resources, and the now €22 billion a year budget that is provided to the health service to respond to the emergency should not be cut back, as other Covid spending has to be.

Mr Varadkar said owning a home is in the DNA of Irish people, but at present, it is a dream out of reach for far too many.

“I believe the additional staff, resources and billions in extra funding that we have provided to the health service to respond to the emergency should be retained and redeployed.” 

Public Expenditure Minister, Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath has made clear that at least €8bn in Covid-related spending needs to be eliminated this year as part of his plan to re-balance the budget within the lifetime of the government.

Despite being in Government since 2011, Mr Varadkar also said that Fine Gael’s mission in Government will be to build a public health service that can be ranked amongst the best in Europe by the end of this decade.

“We must implement the Sláintecare promise of affordable healthcare for all by reducing out of pocket expenses for medicines and hospital charges and expanding medical card eligibility. In this new decade, let’s make it our mission to build a public health service that can be ranked amongst the best in Europe by the end of this decade.” 

He said Fine Gael in Government wants to implement the Sláintecare promise of affordable healthcare for all by further reducing out of pocket expenses for medicines and hospital charges, and by expanding medical card eligibility.

Citing the impact the pandemic has made on all our lives, he said the definition of an essential worker will have to change saying many of those are on low pay and have poor terms and conditions.

“The pandemic has caused us all to re-evaluate what really matters to us the most. The value of community, solidarity, care, our natural environment, our personal health, our home, our family and friends.

“We have redefined essential workers. Not just nurses and doctors, Gardaí and paramedics, but also supermarket workers, drivers, cleaners, and people working in food production and service, many of whom are on low pay and have poor terms and conditions,” he said.

“I believe, a legacy of the pandemic must be better pay, terms and conditions for all workers, public and private sector. Fine Gael will take the lead on this through the introduction of statutory sick pay, the move to a living wage and access to an occupational pension for all employees to supplement their state pension. Reforming our social welfare system to provide a better safety net for people who lose their jobs or take time out to care for others,” he added.

Mr Varadkar referencing the idea of a Just Society, made famous by former Fine Gael Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald, said such a community can only be built on the solid foundations of a growing and competitive economy.

He said the financial supports introduced in the pandemic will remain in place for as long as they are needed so that every business gets a fighting chance to recover and grow.

“We will also care for the sectors hit hardest for longest like tourism, hospitality, aviation, entertainment and the arts. We repeat our commitment that there will be no increases in income taxes by stealth or by design because we believe in rewarding work through better pay and fairer taxes,” he said.