Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister agree that including a right to housing in our Constitution would provide a basic floor of protection for people? A total of 81 jurisdictions around the world have either a constitutional or legislative right to housing. In Europe, countries such as Finland, Scotland and France have legislatively or constitutionally insisted that people have a right to shelter. This right is also included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the European Social Charter. All of this would indicate that the Government should move on this issue.

The Minister seems to be suggesting that including a right to housing in our Constitution would impinge on the Government's ability to deliver housing. However, the Government has not delivered and is only beginning to ramp up delivery now. We are often told that Articles 40 and 43 of our Constitution lay down the right of private ownership and the general right to transfer, bequeath and inherit property and while there is a section which delimits those rights, it needs strengthening. Surely this is something with which the Minister would like to be associated, given that housing is his ministerial responsibility.

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