Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Here is Karen, who is in her early 20s. She says she has been with her boyfriend for six years and they are still living with parents in a box room. They just want to start their own life and are just waiting for something to get better. It is so hard, she says. Michael says:

We are a working family with 2 children. Renting for 21 years. We’ve been given a notice of termination. We have no idea where we are going next. We can't afford to buy, and we can't afford to rent. We are not even eligible for council housing since we are above threshold. The future is so unsure.

Does the Taoiseach accept that this is a catastrophe? Does he accept that we are living through a housing emergency? If, like his Minister, he does not accept that, it would go a very long way to explaining the Government's abject failure to meet the housing needs of people. I will ask the Taoiseach a straight question. I have given him just a sample of the stories. This is a housing emergency, is it not?

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