Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

"Ireland's housing market is clearly not functioning at present." That is a quote from IBEC, and it, along with other organisations, has a major concern that this is affecting our ability to attract foreign direct investment. Not only has this Government's housing plan failed, it has made the problem worse. The housing crisis is not an emergency that fell out of the sky and the current position arose from choices. The Fine Gael Party has been a part of the Government for seven years. Fianna Fáil made choices to benefit the wealthy few at the expense of many. The choices in question include a failure to build council and affordable houses, the consent for mortgages to be sold to vulture funds, the refusal to put in place a rent freeze, and the continued belief that the plan is working. There has been a sheer disregard for people in homelessness.

Since the Minister took office, homelessness in Limerick has risen from 278 people to 307, while rent prices have increased by over 21% in one year and 71% in the past five years. If Fine Gael, or Fianna Fáil for that matter, really wanted to help the thousands of citizens who remain homeless, they would prioritise these people over tax cuts in next month's budget. Neither of the parties will do that. It is same choice they made last year, and money comes first while people come second.

I wrote to the Minister on 19 July and I have not yet received a reply. My query came about because I was informed by Limerick's council on numerous occasions that it was awaiting funding approval from the Department to provide houses.

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