Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I look forward to it. I thank Deputy O'Callaghan for tabling the motion. It is an incredibly important issue and has been such for many years. It is the primary issue for many people in communities. There are 12,847 people homeless and I suspect it is the only thing they have on their minds at the moment. I was looking forward to the opportunity to have a grown-up conversation about different policies and proposals but, unfortunately, the Minister used his time to make disingenuous political points. That undermines this Chamber. Rather than discussing the pros and cons of the motion, he used his time to score points. On an issue such as this, that is unacceptable and, as a Minister, he should be above all that.

The Social Democrats have a very different view on the housing crisis from that of the Government. We do not believe the purpose of the Government is to use taxpayers' money to assist struggling homeowners to pay the extraordinary prices that developers have put on houses and, in essence, to use taxpayers' money to subsidise and put money into the pockets of developers. That is exactly what the Government's policies do. We want to bring down the price of housing so that people can afford it without relying on State supports and taxpayers' money as a subsidy for those prices. Fianna Fáil's compass is, and has been for many decades, pointed towards developers and ensuring developers' profits. That brought the country to the brink of collapse. That is not the Social Democrats' point of view or focus and it is not something we would do either in opposition or on the Government benches.

The motion makes reasonable, practical and achievable asks and it is a pity the Minister did not discuss them. It cuts to the heart of the reality of far too many people living in inadequate housing and homelessness. I see it every week of the year in my constituency of Wicklow. People come to me who have to return to their parents' homes because they cannot afford to rent or live in their home county. They end up in their childhood bedroom, in the box room, sometimes with their partners or children, in order to save for a deposit or to save on rent. A recent report published by the Central Statistics Office found that 15% of people are back living with their parents. The report illustrates how the number has sky-rocketed throughout Ireland. Wicklow has among the highest rates of adult children returning to the family home. There is an entire generation of young Wicklow residents locked out of home ownership and unable to afford rent.

In April 2022, 17,090 adults in Wicklow, or 15% of those aged 18 or over in the county, lived with their parents. It is the second highest rate, by county, in Ireland. Bray has the highest rates in the county, with one in five adults living in his or her parents' home. I meet two types of people on the doorsteps. The first is those who own their homes. People who own their home are usually secure and do not worry about issues of homelessness or housing because they have their security sorted. Homeowners throughout Wicklow, however, are worried about where their children and grandchildren will live. I suspect the situation is similar throughout the country. That is now their concern. Even though they own their home, they know it is nearly impossible for their children to get onto that ladder. A recent report from the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, found that when it comes to home ownership, Ireland has among the widest gaps in western Europe between younger and older people.

The Minister threw a lot of statistics at us. He needs to look at the statistics that matter, such as the 12,847 people who are homeless or the number of adults who have to live with their parents because they cannot afford to rent or buy a home. Those are the statistics the Minister needs to consider. He needs to engage with this discussion and policy issue with a genuine concern and make an effort to make a difference.

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