Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Pretty much everybody from the right, the left and the centre is now acknowledging that the housing crisis we are facing in this country, the lack of affordable accommodation, is now a very serious threat to the country's economic development. The eviction ban Bill, which thankfully the Government decided not to oppose this morning and which might progress, is a very small piece in that puzzle of trying to stop more people going into the horrendous situation of being homeless, but much more needs to be done.

The problem is that many of the workers we need to make our economy work - nurses, teachers and construction workers - are often not eligible for social housing - even if they are, they will be waiting ten or 15 years - or housing assistance payment, HAP, and have nowhere to live. They cannot afford rents of €2,500 per month. What is the Government going to do about this? I do not agree with HAP, but giving it to people who cannot possibly afford such rents if they are on average industrial earnings is better than them leaving the country or leaving key sectors in which we need workers. Something has to be done to ensure that affordable housing is available to people and we start purchasing properties under the purchase scheme even if people are above the income thresholds for social housing.

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