Housing Delivery put in slow lane

Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe said it was ‘unbelievable’ that Taoiseach Enda Kenny has decided to remove the Junior Minister for Housing from the Cabinet and described it as further evidence that the government have no real idea what is going on in the real world.

Crowe made his comments following the announcement by Taoiseach Enda Kenny that the Housing portfolio would no longer retain the status of a ‘Super’ Junior Ministry with a seat at cabinet.

Deputy Seán Crowe said:

“Any fool can see we are in the middle of a housing crisis and there needs to be someone championing that cause at the Cabinet table. Enda and Joan Burton with the stroke of a pen removed a voice for housing from the cabinet and demoted the responsibility for housing to the role of an ordinary Junior Minister it would seem.

“We have 90,000 households on the housing waiting lists of our local authorities. We have nearly half a billion euro being paid to landlords to house nearly 100,000 households through Rent Supplement and RAS. We also now have a new Housing Assistance Payment which will magically sweep housing figures under the rug while not providing a single new home.

“We know that housing need is more severe and widespread than it has been since the foundation of the state. Homelessness is rising and Emergency accommodation is full to the brim. Every week councils are spending thousands on hotel rooms for homeless families.

“Housing is a priority for most people. It was a major issue in the local elections in which this government got a sound beating. The government must listen to the people and the experts on housing. They have done very little if anything in three years as the crisis gets worse and now they seem to be in denial that a problem exists. This weeks decision was another set back and another reason why this Government needs to go.”