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

The housing emergency has dominated life in Ireland for more than a decade. It is a story of an entire generation locked out of affordable housing and locked out of opportunity. It is a generation that works hard and does all the right things but still sees their aspirations pushed further away. Their lives are on hold and their futures are uncertain.

Over the past four days, I have received an outpouring of despair from people whose crisis housing situation is badly affecting their mental health. Here is just some of what these people had to say.

Amy told me:

I'm a [40]-year-old married nurse. We couldn't afford [to] rent anymore. We’ve had to move in with my parents to try to save for a mortgage, but [now] the cost of living [crisis] has ruined things. Only for my parents I couldn't afford to continue living. I am constantly sad and stressed.

This is Seán’s story:

I’m with my partner of over six years. We are living at home with our parents and sister in a three-[bedroom] house. No room. We want to have kids but where would we put a baby? This is not a life. We both work full time and pay our taxes. We want to start our life, but we can't. My depression is real and it's only getting worse.

Kevin said:

Myself and [my] partner are in counselling and prescribed medication for stress, depression and anxiety due to the rising prices of houses and [the struggle] to make a life while [we are still] living [with] our parents. We’re considering moving to Canada for a chance at a better life.

Edel said:

I’ve been homeless since the start of 2020. Going from house to house, room to room. We’ve lost our furniture, our clothing, and the feeling of having a home again. I’m mentally exhausted and the whole family has been dealing with tough mental health issues. This isn't normal. [This] is not right.

There is stress, anxiety, depression, medication and a housing Minister who said that we do not have a housing emergency. The Taoiseach said that his housing plan is working. He speaks of indicators of success, but each of these stories is an indicator of the Government's housing failure. I have put it to him time and again that the Government's housing targets are too low, but each time he refused to accept this fact. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has now acknowledged that the targets are wholly inadequate. Finally, last night, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, was forced to admit that the Government has been working to housing targets that are no where near what is needed. The truth is that this Government falls far short on planning and delivery and people are paying a heavy price. Tá an éigeandáil tithíochta ag cur isteach go mór ar mheabhairshláinte go leor daoine anois. Teastaíonn freagairt éigeandála a dhéileálann le scála na géarchéime.

The Taoiseach said housing is the number one issue for his Government. Yet, after two and half years in office, the housing emergency has only got worse. House prices, rents and homelessness are up and now people’s mental health is on the floor. That is the legacy of the Government’s housing plan.

Does the Taoiseach now accept that we have a housing emergency? When will we see housing targets that match the actual scale of this emergency? We need energy, pace and an all-of-government approach to fix housing.

See this speech in context