Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Dáil is about to rise for the summer and as it does, the Government leaves a trail of housing misery in its wake. The Government has earned the dubious distinction of breaking a number of housing records. A record number of people are now homeless, including an increase of nearly 50% in the number of children who have become homeless in the past year. Rents are at record high and extortionate levels. House prices are at record high levels and are unaffordable for the vast majority of workers. Homeownership rates are at record low levels. Last year, a report by the ESRI stated that the current generation of young people would be the first to be worse off than their parents. This year, an ESRI report stated that Generation Rent faces an age of poverty going into old age. What exactly does treating the housing emergency like an emergency mean to the Government, because we are not seeing it at the minute?

See this speech in context