Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Some say the wheels of government always move very slowly. That is not always the case, however. For example, one need only think of the visit of a foreign dignitary or the outbreak of a disease which might put our livestock or agricultural economy at risk. Then there is an immediate plan of action, great co-ordination and pulling together of the resources of the State to deal with it. We can tackle crises.

A previous Government was able to bail out the Irish banks overnight, putting billions of euro of public funds into the banks in doing so. Now, every man woman and child in the State owes tens of thousands of euro to the banks, the bankers and speculators. Immediate action solved that problem, yet, when 5000 people are living in emergency accommodation across the State, the Government appears to be frozen by inaction. There are well-meaning platitudes, looks of compassion and promises of small amounts of money here and there but nothing of the scale needed to deal with this national emergency.

We are at this stage because of the Government’s inaction. It has failed to build public housing or provide funding for the refurbishment of existing public housing, despite all the announcements, the radio and television programmes and press headlines. Despite knowing that the waiting list for public housing has been growing rapidly over the past several years, the Government has done little or nothing to nip this problem in the bud. Hence, we face this problem today. There has been no Government action on rent controls. Rents have risen dramatically, especially in areas like Dublin. As a consequence, families are no longer able to afford to live in a home because they are forced out by crippling rent prices. The Government has failed to introduce the necessary rent controls to stem the rack-renting that is taking place.

This is also coupled with the fact that the Government has failed to act sufficiently to tackle mortgage distress. Approximately 38,000 mortgage holders are experiencing severe mortgage distress and cannot meet the level of mortgage repayments demanded of them. The Government has, however, failed to introduce a cap on mortgage interest rates to the very banks to which so much public moneys have gone.

We were told money would be channelled into making a number of vacant properties in each county available for public housing, but nothing has happened. For example, there are 121 vacant public housing units in Sligo and 74 vacant public housing units in Leitrim. While these are tiny numbers compared to the scale of the national problem, what a difference making these units available could make to people on the housing list in counties Sligo and Leitrim.

It is time for the Government to make the housing and homelessness issue a national emergency and do as it should and would do in the event of a threat to our livestock or to human health in this country because families living in emergency accommodation and individuals sleeping on the street is so damaging to health. The charitable organisations, community groups and housing agencies must be commended for the work they have done but no matter how hard they work, they cannot stem the tide of homelessness we are experiencing in this country. It is the responsibility of Government to step up to the plate. Shame on any society that cannot ensure that its citizens have warm, safe and secure homes. Shame on us when families with children are homeless.

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