Giving young people in Ireland hope that they will be able to afford to buy or rent a home is the defining challenge of our time, Micheál Martin has said.
The Fianna Fáil leader told his party’s Ard Fheis in Dublin that delivering the largest sustained programme of public investment in housing was an absolute priority, reports Breaking News.
The Taoiseach also said there was a need for a new national effort to secure Ireland’s ability to trade with the world and to reduce its reliance on traditional markets.
Martin delivered the keynote address at the conference, which was also marking the centenary of the party’s founding, reports Breaking News.
Earlier, protesters carrying Palestinian flags had gathered at a gate at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, where the Ard Fheis was being held. A significant Garda presence was deployed during the protest.
He told delegates he was determined to deliver critical investments, open up new markets, and support job creators through tax reform that rewards work and encourages enterprise, reports Breaking News.
He said: “Trade supports hundreds of thousands of jobs – providing the revenue which funds pensions and public services. So, disruption of trade through tariffs and closed borders is a direct threat to us. You cannot oppose trade and claim to support Irish jobs and businesses.”
He said Ireland would need to build up its presence and political engagement with more countries, and support fair trade deals where they offered a clear opportunity, reports Breaking News.
He said economic and social progress must go hand in hand.
“To give young people hope that they can find and afford a home to buy or rent is a defining challenge of our time. There is only one serious way of doing this — we need to build more homes, of every type and in every part of the country. We need action and investment, which is steady and relentless,” reports Breaking News.
The Taoiseach said 36,000 new homes were built last year but acknowledged that was not enough.
“We must make it easier to build the homes we need — and we must be honest that this involves tough choices. We will implement our reforms to planning so that decisions are fair but also faster,” reports Breaking News.
The Taoiseach said the conflict in the Middle East had driven up energy and fuel prices, hitting families across the country, and that Ireland had to do more to guarantee secure and affordable energy supplies and reduce its dependence on imported gas and oil.
Turning to Northern Ireland, he said too little had been done to realise the full benefits of the Good Friday Agreement, pointing to the Shared Island Initiative as an essential and ambitious programme to build connections and demonstrate the progress both parts of the island could share, reports Breaking News.
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