Longford Westmeath Minister of State Peter Burke is defending the governments record on housing following yesterday's comments from President Michael D Higgins.
Speaking on the Let's Talk show today the Planning and Local Government Minister says he hears peoples frustrations about lack of housing at his weekly local clinics in the midlands and is well aware of the issues.
He says the President's comments about the private sector and the suggestion that the government had in some way handed the housing issue over to private interests is simply not true.
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The Junior Minister says circumstances during the last recession meant there was no choice but to rely on private funds for housing construction but that is no longer the case.
