Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Normally when we discuss competitive challenges we see them as issues that affect the bottom line in business, such as energy costs, wage costs etc. However, even now employer organisations are saying that housing is dominating their competitive challenge with workers' inability to find homes. That applies to both the public and private sectors. Schools, hospitals, mental health facilities, public transport etc, as well as the private sector, all report that they simply cannot get people to take up and keep jobs because of the failure of workers to find a place to live. For all the eulogising of Ireland's leprachauns' economy, of the foreign direct investment, the amazing exports, the cuckoo funds that are here etc, the basic fundamentals of providing homes for workers remains beyond our capability. The decision to lift the eviction ban makes absolute sense if the Government's concern is to attract and keep vulture and cuckoo funds and cosy up to corporate landlords. If it sees economic competitiveness as a goal in itself in macroeconomic terms, it is ignoring the human impact on families, workers and individuals, especially children, such as those we saw on "Prime Time", traipsing around to find homeless accommodation.

For once will the Taoiseach be what he always claims to be, which is non-ideological, do the decent thing and tell families facing this terror that he will reverse the decision? We do not mind if he justifies it by saying it is in the interests of the competitiveness of the country. That is fine. It would be in the interests of the competitiveness of the country. We will be standing in solidarity with any of those families who decide to overstay.

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