Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

More than 5,000 applicants are currently on Cork City Council's housing waiting list. It is not unusual for people to be on that list for ten years or more. Behind the numbers lies many a story of human misery. One piece of good news for the more than 5,000 came recently with reports of plans for 54 social houses on a 2.1 ha site alongside St. Dominic’s retreat centre, Montenotte. Scandalously, this proposal has been opposed by the Fine Gael Party.

At first, it was opposed by one councillor, but at a recent public meeting the leader of the Fine Gael group on the council, Councillor Des Cahill, announced that all Fine Gael councillors would oppose the development. This stance has rightly earned widespread condemnation in the city. With a by-election under way, the Fine Gael position is widely seen as an attempt to cadge a few local votes at the expense of people in real social need. One of the voices condemning the Fine Gael position is that of the Fianna Fáil leader, Deputy Micheál Martin. Deputy Martin said Fine Gael members are looking down their noses at social housing projects. He said their position is completely over the top. He said that it seems to him that this is a class thing. I do not disagree with any of that. However, last night on RTÉ Radio One's "Late Debate" programme Fianna Fáil by-election candidate Councillor Pádraig O'Sullivan said there are issues such as public access to the estate that people have genuine concerns about that could lead to anti-social behaviour. He added that if we cannot build 54 houses, we have other massive projects. Presumably he meant where people could be housed in an alternative location. In other words, the Fianna Fáil candidate pulled his punches and backed down from unequivocal support for the project. I have a simple question for Deputy Micheál Martin.

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