Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

“She was six months pregnant when she explained the situation to her landlady. The landlady told her that she would have to leave before the baby arrived ... Her excuse was that the neighbours in the apartments 'wouldn’t like the crying'. [She] waited until late in her pregnancy to tell the landlady because she was afraid of what the reaction might be.” These words reported in The Echotoday are those of Mr. Conor Lynch of Threshold and tell of the experience of one renter in Cork. Can the Taoiseach even begin to imagine the stress that heartlessness would have had on that woman, the worry and the anxiety, and she is far from alone? Threshold states this is not an isolated case and recounts another incident of a pregnant woman living in private rented accommodation where a new baby was not wanted by the landlord. That woman ended up moving into homeless accommodation with her new-born.

Does this not illustrate the depths of the crisis facing renters under the housing policy of the Taoiseach's Government? The 10,500 people who are now homeless deserve better than what they got on the floor of the Dáil last night. That was an opportunity to start from scratch, take stock, and do the right and the wise thing of accepting the system is broken and changing course. The Taoiseach and the Government could have listened to the solutions, such as a radical plan of home building, both council and affordable, a reduction in rents through a rent freeze and tax relief, and the implementation of Deputy Pearse Doherty's No Consent, No Sale Bill to protect family homes from circling vulture funds and evictions. The Government did not do that, however. It wasted that opportunity and backed its man to the hilt, as did the Fianna Fáil Party and Deputy Micheál Martin, who have now clearly shown whose side they are on. They have not shown up to take the side of homeless children and struggling workers and families, but the side of landlords and property speculators. To add insult to injury, the Government bartered, cajoled and arm-twisted three Independent Deputies by promising requests and favours to be met in return for supporting the Government's man. The Government even bussed in the absentee Deputy for Cork North-Central - for one night only, however, as we hear this morning that he has resigned his seat merely hours after casting his vote of confidence. It was a farewell tour before he starts his solo career, though he has certainly been serving himself quite well for some time now - disgraceful behaviour that has let down the people of the northside of Cork city.

Where has all this got the Taoiseach, this desperate attempt to defend and protect his Minister? Some 10,514 people are homeless, including 4,000 children, there are record numbers all the time, including in Cork, children will wait for Santa in bed and breakfast and emergency accommodation, average rents in some places have now reached in excess of €2,000, people are years waiting on council housing waiting lists - last week, I met people 13 years and 17 years on the housing waiting lists - and a whole generation has no prospect of owning their own homes. In light of the figures released last night and the swathe of evidence in front of us, will the Taoiseach accept that his housing policies are not working and will he finally change direction?

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