Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

The figures provided by the Minister are truly horrendous and confirm the views expressed by many advocacy groups such as the Irish Council for Social Housing, Focus Ireland, Threshold, Barnardos and Social Justice Ireland, as well as Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins, to the effect that there is a social housing crisis. The President addressed this matter on two occasions during the past fortnight and is on record as stating, "One of the most basic deprivations a human being can suffer, or fear, is that of being homeless," that "people who need housing and cannot provide from their own means should not be abandoned to the marketplace" and that "You can't leave the provision of housing to a residual feature of the marketplace. We have done that and homelessness is a consequence of that." What we need to do now - I hope the Minister will provide further figures in this regard - is to ensure local authorities and approved bodies build houses for those who cannot provide for them from their own means.

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