Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have two official languages in this country, Irish and English, but we seem to have a third language, one of denial that there is a housing crisis and of the solutions being put forward. Those of us on this side of the House are told we are negative. I have no hesitation in supporting this motion. Great thought has gone into it. The proposers have analysed the problem and put forward solutions, as we have all done since the day we were elected. If the Minister of State does nothing else he might please read the motion and tell me which part he finds objectionable. It is not based on ideology but makes very practical suggestions.

I have said repeatedly in this Chamber that I come from a city where the housing crisis is worse than in Dublin. I know of somebody who has finally been offered a house but he has been on the waiting list since January 2002, that is, for 16 years. This year and next, 14 houses will be built in Galway. The last house built for social housing was built in 2009. I live in a city where there is no master plan. There are public lands in Ceannt Station, the docks and elsewhere and we are leaving it to developers all over again. The senior Minister agreed with me when I raised this at Leaders' Questions and said we need a master plan. There is no master plan in Galway city.

This is not a natural disaster, this is a Government-made disaster caused by specific policies, including those of the previous Labour-Fine Gael Government. It made the most fundamental change in housing policy when it said housing support was now a house. That was an utter twist of language. It is difficult enough to understand the complexity of our attitude to the Irish language but in respect of the language around housing, my mind boggles to think that housing support is now regarded as a social house.

Members are here every week, not to be negative but to use our voices to tell the Government that there is a housing crisis that is now an emergency. If the Government does not declare an emergency, we cannot come up with proper solutions. Fianna Fáil has a golden opportunity. I find myself in agreement with it on certain issues but not on this one. This is the time for it to say it will not support Government policy and to support this motion.

See this speech in context