Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many comments can be made about this housing crisis. The fact now that it is the norm to see people bedding down in doorways can only be described as blatant evidence that this crisis is a national emergency. This emergency affects children living in hotels, families, mothers and vulnerable people, and it has huge social and economic costs. These costs are a direct result failure of the State and the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government to acknowledge that this emergency exists and to do something about it. The housing spend per citizen by Dublin City Council illustrates the almost impossible struggle facing the council in its efforts to house people. For example, in 2016, the council has an overall budget of €803 million. The expectation is that the council will spend 35% of this on housing, which is its greatest expenditure. However, while this figure has been increased annually, only 100 family homes were built in 2015.

In the aftermath of the general election, we are in a political vacuum. Fine Gael is now saying it misjudged the mood of the people while, at the same time, Fianna Fáil acts as if it had no hand or part to play in creating this crisis. There is only one solution to this emergency, which is a State-led national social and affordable housing programme.

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