Taoiseach tells Offaly gathering housing remains Fine Gael's top priority

THE Taoiseach, Simon Harris has stressed Fine Gael's number one priority is housing and he has committed to building 250,000 new homes between now and 2030.
Addressing his party's Oireachtas members and General Election candidates at the Fine Gael think-in in the Tullamore Court Hotel last week, Mr Harris vowed to be relentless in his approach to housing.
"No idea is too big, or too small," he stressed.
Added the Taoiseach: "We will leave no stone unturned in the years ahead to realise the delivery of all the housing we need for a modern, inclusive Ireland. Housing is the greatest challenge we face as a country, economy and society is housing."
Over 200 homes are being commenced every day this year and 500 individuals or couples are buying their first home every week – the highest in 16 years, said Mr Harris.
He said that a total of 4,800 people have been approved under the First Home Scheme, bridging the gap between a couple’s deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home.
"Now as we enter the new Dáil term, it’s time to raise the scale of ambition and bring renewed energy to delivery. Shortly, we will publish new housing estimates and set each local authority specific targets to deliver."
He said Fine Gael will ensure student accommodation is funded by the State. "We have invested €100 million but again we need to increase our ambition to deliver student housing across the country. It is the least our young people deserve. Fine Gael will commit to retaining the vital supports people need to buy their own home. We will take every measure possible to ensure more homes are available for private purchase including any measure necessary on bulk purchasing."
As well as keeping the focus on housing, the Taoiseach stressed it is equally important "we do not lose sight of the need for childcare facilities, schools, roads, healthcare facilities."
He said he had been across the country and "this party is alive and kicking, and ready for battle at the next general election, when it comes."
"I have been to every corner of the country in the last five months and met hundreds of thousands of people. I have listened to what matters to them most. How we can help them with the cost of living. How we can help them own their home. How can we help them when they fall on hard times? What more can we do to help people with additional needs? How will we keep the local café and restaurant going. These are the issues that drive me and you the Fine Gael team and that is what we will prioritise in the months ahead."
Mr Harris said Fine Gael as a party has always prioritised small and medium businesses, family run, family owned, community-built businesses.
"Fine Gael is the party of enterprise and reward. Together with colleagues in Government, we will deliver a pro-enterprise Budget."
He added that across Ireland we can see the impact investment in infrastructure is having.
"Here in Offaly, we are building a new 1,000 pupil secondary school in Edenderry. We have spent €15 million on roads in this county this year alone. But if we are being honest, we need to do things quicker and better. That is why I have proposed a Department of Infrastructure to help drive the change we need. The aim of the new Department is to speed up delivery of key infrastructural elements required by the State to help meet the needs of a growing and ageing population and to meet our climate demands."
He added that a key Fine Gael election manifesto commitment would be in the area of childcare. "I have said I want to make Ireland the best country in Europe to be a child. I am proud of what we have achieved in reducing the cost of childcare but now I want us to ask ourselves how we can be more ambitious. I want to give the nation’s children the best start in life and their parents the most choice when it comes to caring for them.
"The evidence is clear: Investing heavily in high quality early childcare and early childhood education reaps great rewards in later life. It also reduces educational inequalities, particularly for those who may be experiencing disadvantage, and it enables women to fulfil their ambitions. I know the pressures of juggling work and responsibilities; the constant balancing of work and caring responsibilities, and we need to give parents options to choose what is right for them."
The Taoiseach said he wanted to develop a childcare system that works for every parent.
"I don’t believe this vision will ever be achieved if we simply leave it to the market, frankly the stakes are far too high, and parents want certainty. So now I want Fine Gael to make that shift and do what is in the best interests of children and their families, by moving to a new stage in the development of childcare in this country. We need to move to an affordable, high quality, public early learning and childcare model."
Touching on migration, Mr Harris said while we grapple with increased numbers coming into the country, building a new system in real time, there are no easy answers, "but I continue to believe our approach must be threefold: Firm rules, fairly and efficiently enforced; A compassionate approach delivered with common sense; Consistent, open and honest communications with the public."
Addressing law and order concerns, Mr Harris said Fine Gael will be the party who opens more prison spaces, hires more judges and reforms our sentencing laws to send a message that crime never pays.
Looking to next month's Budget, the Taoiseach admitted that the cost-of-living is still an issue for families all over the country.
"That is why Fine Gael is working to put more money back in their pockets. We want to reduce costs and reduce tax to make work pay so that households can keep more of their hard-earned money. We can do this because Fine Gael has built a strong economy. We want to ensure that economic success delivers tangible benefits in people’s lives."
He revealed that in the Budget, Fine Gael will help people struggling in the here and now, while ensuring we protect the economy and plan for the future.
In Budget 2025, he said, the party's priorities will be: Building more homes and delivering more home ownership; Cutting the cost of raising a family through reduced taxes and helping with cost of childcare, school and college; Helping working families with the bills including energy, transport and rent; Ensuring those who need the most help get it - our older people and our most vulnerable; Investing in disability services to help children get access to assessment of needs, therapies and school places; A range of supports to help businesses; Support for farmers to plan for the future; Building the infrastructure the country needs. That means more schools, more hospitals, more roads; Investing in our gardai and ensuring our migration system is more efficient.
Mr Harris also revealed that Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys will roll out hot school meals to every school in the country by 2025 making sure no child goes hungry.
He said Fine Gael will run a team of experience and new energy in the forthcoming General Election. "The party has already chosen 47 candidates in 30 constituencies. Sixteen candidates are women. This places Fine Gael at 34% of the gender quota with 13 constituencies to go. Six of our candidates have never ran for public office before; 23 are running for the Dáil for the first-time."