Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. As my colleague, an Teachta Ó Broin has outlined, we will be supporting this Bill. I was talking to my dad last night who is a very long-time housing activist and campaigner. I nearly used the word "veteran" but I would be afraid that he might be listening to this and I would be in trouble for that. He laughed when I told him that the proposal that was coming before us was from the Labour Party and he said that it was easy to know that the party was in opposition, as that party is always very enthusiastic for measures like the Kenny report when in that position. He asked me to ask if I got the chance why it is never that much of a priority when the Labour Party is in government. Deputy Howlin has outlined the attempts that were made by previous Labour Party people to bring this in but it was always done in opposition and never done when in government. That demands the question, notwithstanding that an Teachta Ó Broin has outlined that we will support this Bill, that some might ask whether it is very cynical on the part of the Labour Party to try to claim some kind of ownership now of any housing activism.

Notwithstanding that, if it is having a Damascene conversion, that is welcome. As an Teachta Ó Broin outlined, we will work with anyone and everyone who has a progressive policy on housing in order to address the crisis.

I wish to refer briefly to the remarks made by the Government representative here today to the effect that this move is premature. I will give my age now: I am the same age as the Kenny report. I was born in 1973. I am not premature, I am very much mature. We have a housing crisis. This report has been around for decades. I have heard my father and others who were activists with him in the Dublin Housing Action Committee talk at length about the Kenny report, how important it is, how we need to appreciate what is in it and implement it. It is not premature, in fact if anything it is bloody decades overdue. If the Government cannot see that, I genuinely fear for the people who are depending on it to do the right thing.

When I was almost 25 years old, I was able to buy a house with my husband. We both had normal jobs, I worked in administration and he had a job in the area of technology. We had very normal, ordinary incomes. We were the first of our friendship group to be able to do it but we were by no means outliers. It was a reasonable aspiration at the age of 24 or 25 if you had decent, secure employment that you would be able to buy a house, which in this country is the only way you can have the type of security you want if you have a young family, as we did at the time. That is no longer the case for people. The Minister of State would do well to reflect on the lived reality of his policies and those he supports.

I want to quote Mark O'Halloran, a very well-known actor and screenwriter. He wrote:

My career might be judged a success - but when it comes to the property market, I'm a complete failure ... Our political class have forgotten that housing is a right and not simply an opportunity to redistribute money upwards to the wealthy.

He also stated:

I'm one of those people doomed to live amongst other people's furniture. The type of guy who has to ask, at the age of 51, for permission to own a cat. It’s sort of funny really. Except it’s not, ’cause now I’m afraid for the future. And with good cause.

There are real people depending on us to do the right thing.

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