Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Broughan for tabling this motion. It is a debate we appear to have every month, but as we talk, the situation is unravelling for thousands of people because of the failure of the Government to build social housing. Announcing that it has solved the problem by placing some people in the private rental market through HAP, apart from the enormous waste of resources at €400 million in payments, is not a solution. As Social Justice Ireland and others have pointed out, it is a short-term fix. It is precarious for tenants. Their security of tenure is at the discretion of landlords, rents are spiralling and many are living in fear.

There is a danger of hiding the reality of this crisis behind lies, damned lies and statistics, thus blinding people with figures that do not explain the reality of life for our citizens. I will tell Linda's story. She is a woman from my area who sent me the following email:

I have been issued with a notice from my landlord as he is selling. He has given me until May. I have been in rented accommodation since 2001. I am a single of mother of 2. My son is 17 and daughter is 6. I have spoken to the local council and to Threshold about my situation. I am constantly looking to rent somewhere else and I am at a loss. The properties are getting snapped up by professionals. I can’t go into emergency housing as I have to wait until closer to the time that I am due to leave the house. I am beginning to panic. I am a lone parent and it's up to me to provide security for my kids. My daughter is 6 and she offered me her savings box to buy a house today god love her innocence. This is not a feel sorry for me email; this is real life stuff. I am not a victim I am simply a mother who is looking to provide housing for her children.

There is also Caroline, who wrote to me months ago. Again, the landlord was selling and she did not know where she would go. She wrote:

I cannot afford to rent privately as €1600 a month is way out my budget. I have lived in Swords all my life, my kids go to school there and I work beside the airport. I cannot afford a mortgage on my own and have no idea what my options are.

The months since then have evaporated and she has written to me again. She still has nowhere to go. Like every other Deputy, I get emails like that every week. There is nothing I can tell these people except that they should look for a private rented house even though I know they are not available and that they will not get one. It is an absolute scandal in this day and age. That is aside from our veteran Defence Forces personnel who ran a valiant campaign with Tricolour sleeping bags on the streets to highlight the way we treat men and women who loyally served the State.

The housing policy is not working. It is a thundering disgrace. Lives are being destroyed by the Minister's inaction, but that is being hidden by lies, damned lies and statistics.

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