Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The issue of enshrined economic, social and cultural rights is a complex and contested area not just in Ireland, but in political debate internationally. It is a debate that I welcome, and while Fianna Fáil is opposing this Bill, at this time, I note that we are in agreement with the principles behind this Bill. It is central to our thinking as a republican party that the provision of rights for citizens is a proper function of Government. In point of fact, I will argue that political debate in this area will be one of crucial importance to the future of democratic governance in the western world.

I have long held the view that citizens should be entitled to a broader scope of rights than those that currently exist. However, a wider portfolio of rights places greater responsibilities on the State and this must be rooted in some semblance of reality and in the capacity to deliver.

Human rights are one of the pillars upon which modern democratic societies have put forward basic human needs that must be met by a functioning state. Rights-based societies have grown since the foundation of the United Nations. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a significant broadening of the scope of human rights that is not without controversy. We know, however, that even the most basic of human rights are not universally upheld internationally. If even the most basic rights cannot be delivered by many democratic governments, then many people would argue that we are lowering the value of rights by widening them to cover every aspect of human life. This is a powerful and wide-ranging conversation that needs much more debate and analysis than this Bill allows.

I have been of the view for most of my political career that the State needs to be more ambitious in the range of public services that an Irish citizen can rightly expect in a modern 21st century republic. One of the reasons I joined Fianna Fáil is that I believe that at crucial times in the history of this Republic, Fianna Fáil has broadened and deepened the range of public services that citizens can expect. It was Fianna Fáil that introduced a detailed written Constitution in 1937, including rights for citizens when the rest of Europe was burning books and entering a new dark age. It was also Fianna Fáil that decided that every child deserved free secondary education, and that a minimum State pension was a necessary contribution for every older citizen. It is that republican tradition that needs to be built upon. What separates Fianna Fáil from those on the far left, for example, is that rights need to be based on what can be delivered in reality. There is no point in having several additional rights enshrined in the Constitution if they have no bearing on what the State can deliver for every citizen.

I take rights seriously. I believe that if we declare something to be a right, the State should be obliged to deliver it. I come from a business background, so I do not make a commitment unless it can be backed up. In fact, one of the reasons that many citizens feel fed up with politics is that they are sick of hearing grand plans and theories that are never delivered upon. That type of fantasy land politics does not help the very people who most need our help.

I am strongly of the view that in the area of housing, a minimum housing provision should be considered a right to which every citizen is entitled. I am fully aware of the obligations that this ambition places upon the State, but I believe that housing is an area where too many Irish citizens are in too much need. Housing in 2017 is where the Irish Government and this House need to be radical and determined.

Every Irish citizen should have a right to a home. It is an abuse of human rights that Irish families are living in hotel rooms. It is an abuse of human rights that Irish citizens are sleeping in doorways. The Irish know their history well. There is a particular sympathy for those in need of housing that stretches far back into our history when we were a dispossessed people. This Dáil needs to move towards viewing the provision of homes as a right and every citizen should feel it is the State's obligation to meet a minimum standard in this regard.

I note that Rebuilding Ireland begins with a declaration that housing is a basic requirement. There is a difference between a requirement and a right. It is one of the reasons I believe that this Government is being far too timid in dealing with housing. I will be pursuing this ambition further both within my party and in the House.

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