Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD, Seán Crowe, has called for urgent action from the Government to tackle the huge housing crisis that Ireland, and especially Dublin, is facing.

Crowe was speaking in the Dáil on a Sinn Féin motion which called on the Government to invest €1 billion from the Strategic Investment Fund in order to deliver at least 6,600 additional social housing units over the next two years.

He also called on the Minister to intervene in a row between South Dublin County Council (SDCC) and the Respond Housing Agency that has left fully completed units lying vacant for years.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“Sinn Féin put this motion before the Dáil because the housing crisis has completely spiralled out of control over the past few years.

“Our motion called on the Government to deliver on additional social housing units, introduce rent controls, and to amend legislation to disallow landlords discriminating against recipients of rent supplement.

“It also called on the Government to commit to ring-fencing funding for housing and homelessness services for the lifetime of this Government and to set a date for a referendum on the Constitutional Convention’s recommendation that Bunreacht na hÉireann should include a right to housing cognisable by the courts.

“The Government shamefully refused to support this motion and are continuing to turn a blind eye to our huge housing crisis.

Crowe continued:

“Over 90,000 households are in housing need across this State and I know from my constituency office how crisis this problem is.

“This week three homeless families came to my constituency office. There was a time when one could tell people to go here or there, or get rent allowance but there is nothing I can say or do now. My job is to be a problem solver for many of these hard pressed and desperate individuals.

“I try to give them some direction but in this crisis I can’t really direct them anywhere that will solve their housing needs. I can direct them to homeless services but the vacancies are not there. This is a huge problem.

“Collectively we need to tackle this problem but we can’t do anything as long as the Government turns a blind eye to this crisis.

“After this debate the Minister could immediately improve the situation in South Dublin by intervening in the dispute between SDCC and the Respond Housing Agency.

“I am calling on him to take this practical and important step immediately.”

ENDS