Labour calls for a radical reset on housing policy
Labour calls for a radical reset on housing policy - The Labour Party
- Taoiseach shirks responsibility
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD has slammed the Government’s chaotic approach to housing, calling out the Taoiseach’s cynical attempt to dodge responsibility for the crisis during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today. Speaking in Leinster House, Deputy Bacik demanded a radical reset in housing policy and urged people to join Labour members and representatives at the Raise the Roof rally outside the Dáil at 6pm this evening to send a clear message that renters deserve certainty, not confusion.
Deputy Bacik said:
“Time and again we were told by Government that they were ready to take difficult decisions to fix the housing disaster. What we see instead is an incoherent mess, more U-turns, and drip-fed announcements that make life even harder for renters.
“Last week, the Taoiseach boasted about surprising the Opposition with his plans for Rent Pressure Zones. But he didn’t surprise landlords — they got nine months’ notice to hike rents or evict tenants. This reckless approach has left people across the country living in fear: fear of eviction, fear of more rent hikes, fear of a future without secure housing.
“When my colleague Deputy Conor Sheehan raised the alarm, we heard directly from worried renters. And when questioned today, the Taoiseach’s only response was to try to blame the Opposition for not building homes. It is astonishing that any Taoiseach would wash his hands of responsibility for tackling the single biggest issue facing people in Ireland today.
“Renters feel abandoned. Families see no path to owning their own home. Meanwhile, Government wastes time on half-measures and developer tax breaks instead of scaling up State-led building. Only the State can build homes at the pace and scale needed. We need an ambitious, radical plan to end this crisis — not more confusion and cynical spin.
“Tonight, people from the Labour Party, other opposition parties, NGOs and Trade Unionists will stand outside Leinster House to demand real action. I am calling on everyone who cares about solving this crisis to join us at the Raise the Roof rally at 6pm. Together we can send the strongest possible message to this Government: renters deserve security, families deserve homes, and Ireland deserves a proper plan to build them.”