Labour demands change of tack on housing at Raise the Roof rally this Saturday
Labour housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan said for too long Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have been allowed to make excuses on housing. Urging attendance at the Raise the Rood rally this Saturday, Senator Moynihan said it’s clear that the civil war parties simply don’t understand the housing needs of the next generation.
Senator Moynihan said:
“For over six years, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have refused to tackle housing. We’ve had multiple reports week in week out with positive, proactive solutions yet they fall on deaf ears. Well, the time has come to put it up to government and demand change. Labour is urging anyone who can to march at the Raise the Roof rally this Saturday.
“We in the Labour Party firmly believe that the State should be the lead provider of housing. We need to see government scale up the measures in Housing for All with a particular focus on the cost rental model.
“The most glaring example of inequality in Ireland today is that of the housing and homelessness crisis, with the Government still failing to deliver adequate affordable and social housing. Supply is a key issue. As we anticipate record breaking levels of homelessness this winter, we know there are thousands of vacant sites and properties dotted around the country which could be utilised.
“Government has simply failed to get a handle on the rental crisis in particular. A huge difference can be made quickly for renters through the implementation of Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill. It would introduce a rent register to provide transparency in the rental market. With fewer and fewer properties even available to rent, there’s a clear power imbalance between landlords and renters. By enabling prospective tenants to see what the previous tenant was charged, we can introduce more fairness into the market.
“The housing crisis is the crisis issue of this generation. How many more reports need to come out before it is treated with the urgency it requires? Housing is a basic human need, not something optional. As such, a market approach to housing will inevitably fail, as it has failed in Ireland and elsewhere, again and again.”