Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last night, the House debated Second Stage of Sinn Féin's Bill to provide for the constitutional right of every citizen to adequate, secure and affordable housing, a key recommendation of the Constitutional Convention. Fine Gael and its partners, Fianna Fáil, have chosen to say no to that proposal and both parties have stated that they will not support the legislation when it is voted on tomorrow afternoon. In the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis, that is an absolutely despicable position for the Government to adopt, particularly considering the support for this legislation by the United Nations special rapporteur for adequate housing.

The Raise the Roof demonstration will take place here in Dublin next Saturday and it will demand real solutions to our housing emergency, including the constitutional right to a home. I am asking the Taoiseach in advance of that demonstration to do the right thing and change his mind on the matter. He should support the provision of a constitutional right to a home. I also urge Fianna Fáil, which has much to say by way of criticism of the Government's housing policy, to step up and support this very basic and necessary demand.

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