Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

There is a huge housing and homelessness crisis that is devastating families and damaging children. The 10,000 protestors at the Raise the Roof demonstration outside the Dáil today are an indication of the depth of that crisis. The protest is the start of a national campaign, including work stoppages, demanding the building of social and affordable houses on public lands. The protest was supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and its affiliates, the Union of Students in Ireland, the National Women's Council of Ireland, housing NGOs and political parties in opposition.

It is blindingly obvious that the private market has utterly failed. It is also blindingly obvious that seven years of Fine Gael, Labour Party and Independent Alliance housing policies have also failed and are further damaging children and families. The time for talking is well and truly over and the 10,000 homeless people and 100,000 families on local authority housing lists are demanding action now. The key action identified in the motion is the declaration by the Oireachtas of a housing and homelessness emergency. That means the Oireachtas must pass legislation declaring such an emergency. It must curtail the rights of private property. This is not new or unique. It was done by the previous Government of Fine Gael and the Labour Party when it introduced an emergency regulations, including the financial emergency measures in the public interest or FEMPI legislation, which interfered with the private property of pensioners.

What will a declaration of an emergency do to address this crisis? It will allow the Government to stop all evictions by banks, building societies, vulture funds and landlords. Evictions into homelessness are driving the homelessness crisis. It will allow the Government to reduce and freeze rents and fast-track the compulsory purchase of vacant properties. It will also allow it to commence an emergency, large-scale, public, local authority social and affordable house building programme. Public housing on public land is what is needed. The Minister must do it and do it now.

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