EU housing delegation leaves Dublin shocked at Government failure
EU housing delegation leaves Dublin shocked at Government failure - The Labour Party
MEPs from across Europe visited Dublin this week to examine the housing crisis, and what they saw was a Government that has run out of excuses, said Dublin Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.
Speaking at the conclusion of the visit, Ó Ríordáin MEP said:
“Having spent the week with a delegation of MEPs from across Europe on the European Parliament Housing Committee, it’s fair to say they were shocked by the scale of the housing crisis this Government has presided over.
“I brought Irene Tinagli, an Italian MEP from my own Socialists and Democrats Group who is Chair of the Housing Committee, to Oliver Bond flats so she could see it for herself. The conditions. The frustration. Residents who are furious and who have been waiting years for action that never comes.
“Europe has mobilised €43 billion in housing investment across the EU. As lead S&D negotiator, I have been pushing hard to expand that further in the next long-term budget. The political will exists at European level.
“The irony is that despite Ireland having one of the most acute housing crises of any member state, it is not drawing down EU funds anywhere near the level it should be. The money is there. The investment platforms are there. The European Investment Bank is ready to partner. This Government just isn’t showing up.
“The Government is doing nothing. They have had years and wasted every one of them.
“Dublin was not chosen as a best practice model for this delegation visit. We were chosen as a cautionary tale. That should shame every minister who has sat on their hands while families sleep in emergency accommodation and people can’t afford to stay in the city they grew up in.
“Europe is acting. This Government is not.”