Fine Gael have failed on housing

Labour Spokesperson on Housing, Jan O’Sullivan TD, has encouraged members of the public to attend the upcoming Housing and Homelessness Coalition National Demonstration on December 1st.

Commenting today Deputy O’Sullivan said;

“On the 1st of December the public, along with political parties and trade unions have the opportunity to march in the National Homelessness & Housing Coalition Demonstration.

“I would encourage anyone who can get to the demonstration to attend the Homelessness and Housing Coalition Demonstration. We need large numbers of people on our capital city streets to keep the current government under pressure to develop the kind of publicly owned and affordable body of housing that is needed in Ireland.

“Fine Gael has failed on housing. They haven’t introduced a rent register for tenants but will give landlords a tax cut. Their rent pressure zones have been a complete failure but they won’t introduce rent controls for the whole country. They haven’t built nearly enough public housing units, but are happy to sell off public lands to private developers whose sole interest is their own profit margins.

“Fine Gael seem allergic to publicly owned homes on publicly held lands. They should not continue to block such developments. The needs of people should override the personal economic ideology of Fine Gael.

“Opposition parties have been making recommendations for three years now and Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fail, have ignored each and every one. Labour has published a fully costed plan to spend €16 billion and deliver 80,000 homes in five years. We would develop public and affordable homes, on publicly held land.

“An affordable home, in a sustainable and safe community should be a realistic prospect for everyone in Ireland.”