Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Raise the Roof was established because the housing policies failed workers and families. In Limerick recently, the first and biggest public meeting since the easing of restrictions was held. I have no doubt the rally taking place on Saturday will be big as well.

The housing market in Limerick is broken. I want to talk to the Minister about three specific issues we have there. The first is about renters. Anybody who has a constituency office like I do will know there is something noticeable with every single person who comes in at the moment, and that is the envelope in their hand. You know exactly what it is before they even give you the envelope. The envelope is the notice to quit. I have never seen so many of them. The homeless services tell me to see them. If a person is approved for social housing, there is no RAS property available in Limerick. There simply is not one there.

I looked at Daft this morning and there were nine properties available. There is a one-bedroom apartment on Thomas Street in Limerick city centre for €1,800 a month. If that does not tell the Minister how broken the market in Limerick is, nothing will. If a person has a notice to quit and simply has nowhere to go, there is no emergency accommodation in Limerick, and Limerick City and County Council told me that. Providers of homeless services have told me that for a number of weeks, that there is no emergency accommodation available.

Regarding people who work and might have a job, a small income or whatever and earn slightly over the limit, the income thresholds to get a social support have not changed since 2011. The Minister has been talking for a long time about doing something on that, but we have been waiting and waiting and have not seen anything come in on that. A family of two adults and children in Limerick has an income limit of €36,000. If the adults have any sort of a job, they are not getting any supports.

I support the aims of Raise the Roof. It is an important campaign that will build as it goes on. Among its aims are a ban on rent increases and an emergency ban on evictions, bringing vacant homes back into use and holding a referendum on the right to housing. We can do better, but only if the Government has the political will to do so. What we cannot do is stand by while developers profit and families suffer.

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