Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this motion. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing it forward. I have spoken on the issue of housing more times than I can count. I will, however, continue to raise my concerns and those of my constituents for as long as this Government continues to sit on its hands. Not only are the housing targets of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, shockingly low, they have not been met for three years in a row now. That the Minister cannot even meet the incredibly low standards he set for his Department is extremely concerning.

This Government, with the help of vulture funds, has made our country completely unliveable, not only for those looking to come here but for those who already live here and are now forced into emigration. The increased threshold for social housing will do nothing to help the situation in Donegal. People on €31,000 will not be eligible for social housing, yet there is no way a bank would give them a mortgage either. Many people in my constituency are within this income bracket and so many will never have the opportunity of having a house.

The Government is completely out of touch. The reality is the housing crisis has affected everyone in this country, whether they know it or not. The current shortage of nurses and teachers is a direct result of emigration caused by failed housing policies. The housing crisis has also contributed to the seemingly never-ending rise in the cost of living. A group in society which has been severely affected and often overlooked is the children of this country. Not only is their education suffering due to the lack of available teachers, a recent study by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, found that the longer children are exposed to inadequate housing from birth to the age of nine, the more harm they experience. This is concerning given that 3,442 children are currently living in emergency accommodation, not to mention the thousands who have also moved out. According to the study, children living in inadequate housing have worse health and developmental outcomes than their peers. It is clear the policy of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has not only failed in terms of affordability and supply but also regarding the well-being of our citizens. This should be the main priority of all policy.

The lead author of the report, James Laurence, said "This report shows that current housing policy needs to focus as much attention on housing quality and adequacy as supply and affordability, for the well-being of children and families". The report details how respiratory problems are common in nine-year-olds who spend more time living in poor housing conditions, such as damp properties, as well as in homes which are not adequately heated. This is particularly concerning when we consider the number of children forced to live in such conditions because they live in defective concrete homes across Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick and many other counties. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy has failed and continues to fail to protect these children. It has exposed them to defective homes which are not only incredibly dangerous but which affect their health as well as their social and emotional well-being.

I hosted members of the Mica Action Group earlier, along with county councillors. They spoke to Oireachtas Members about the revised defective concrete blocks scheme, which has still not been delivered despite declarations of urgency from the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. It will probably be later this year before we even see anything happen regarding this matter. Despite misleading statements made by the Government, the revised scheme does not deliver 100% redress due to caps and exclusions. It was agreed at the meeting that the Minister needs to come to Donegal to discuss these issues and Donegal County Council needs to be proactive in how it is going to deal with affected homeowners. There is also a complete lack of support in project management and infrastructure, which will leave many homeowners without a way forward. This is completely unacceptable and unfair to homeowners who have been fighting for years to receive compensation for homes that were built, unknowingly to them, with defective blocks due to Government's light-touch regulation. This continues to this day. Indeed, homes are being built that will still have problems even after the Government has supposedly changed this situation.

What is even more frustrating is the shocking inequality between this scheme and that for the victims of Celtic tiger defective apartments. All victims of defective homes deserve to be treated equally and funded fully for the stress and pain they have endured at the hands of bad policy and regulation. I strongly believe we need to bring a well-being focus to all future policy and especially to all future plans to tackle the housing crisis. I have been calling on the Government to introduce a significant tax on all derelict homes and Airbnb units for some time now. Portugal has proved it is possible to do this. Under new housing plans put forward by the Portuguese Government, all unoccupied houses will be forced onto the market at affordable prices and there will be no new licences given to Airbnb or holiday rentals, except in less populated rural areas. If we had a Government like that here, it would be some difference. I urge the Government to seriously consider doing the same here, although it will not. I also urge it to extend the eviction ban as soon as possible, which it will also not do, which this motion calls for and which I support fully.

See this speech in context