Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that the housing crisis is at the root of many of the problems we have in providing public services and is the result of a 13 year legacy of failure from Fine Gael government supported by Fianna Fáil.

Speaking in the Dáil last night, Teachta Crowe said:

“The housing crisis is a major factor in the difficulties we have in providing public services. Young teachers, gardaí, nurses and workers of all persuasions cannot afford to live remotely close to their places of employment. A teacher or nurse in my area might live an hour or hours away.

“How can we make life in the public service appealing when we make such a basic necessity as a roof over your head unattainable for so many people? We heard only this week of college students sleeping in cars and on sofas or commuting for exhausting journeys because there simply is not enough housing. The possibility of owning your own home cannot be left to a small elite or the dream of so many.

“Sinn Féin has a plan to fix the housing crisis. We have workable, ambitious solutions that would alleviate the pressure on the housing market and allow supply to start to meet demand. Everyone should have the right to a secure and affordable home. An affordable home should be one where your housing costs are a reasonable percentage of your disposable income. It is not one that costs almost €600,000.

“A woman who came into my office recently said she was earning too much for social housing, but not enough for affordable housing. That sums up the mess the Government has made of housing.

“The Government will cut and run soon. It leaves behind a 13 year legacy of broken promises and missed targets on housing, 13 years of rising costs on rental properties, no security of tenure and record homelessness.

“They will say that homes cannot be built overnight, but Fine Gael entered government almost 5,000 nights ago.

“Voters will shortly have a choice: more of the same in respect of affordable housing or something different.”