Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Broin for introducing this Bill, which I will be supporting. There seems to be confusion on whether the Government is tabling an amendment or just opposing it, full stop. I have no idea how it could oppose the Bill. It is very limited; it is limited in time and it is limited in nature. It is to make provision to defer the termination dates of certain tenancies that fall or would fall during the period beginning on the day after the passing of the Act and ending on 31 March. Then there is a further phased basis. It is temporary, as I said, and it is very restricted. It is the least we could do as a tiny part to tackle the housing crisis.

Since 2016, I have stood here week after week highlighting the housing crisis in Galway. Very often the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, is in here because the senior Minister has left. I understand more than anyone that Ministers are extremely busy. However, having 4,000 homeless children is a serious crisis where the Minister should stay in the Chamber and acknowledge what is happening as a direct consequences of Government policy. On the floor of the Dáil, I have praised the Minister of State for his work on his area of heritage and the environment. However, on housing, no praise whatsoever is due. It is truly shocking.

Between 23 and 29 October - it has got worse since - 13,179 people were accessing homeless accommodation. At that stage, 3,991 were children and I gather that has risen to more than 4,000. As has been said repeatedly, that does not capture those in different categories who are not on the official list. Galway city distinguishes itself by having a housing crisis that is on a parallel with Dublin if not worse. The average increase in rent for new tenancies is 11.6%. In Galway city it is 12.7% and ever higher.

In 2022, Galway city failed to meet its targets. Of its target of 305 new-build social homes, it reached 150. I am in no way critical of staff. I see staff in local authorities being moved all the time. They are dealing with homeless people and people who are under pressure all of the time every day. I have the greatest respect for staff. However, I would reserve my anger and my frustration for city managers who over the years have failed to deal with a housing crisis. When I was a councillor, not a single house was built since 2009 under successive governments. As councillors, we begged various Ministers, including Labour Party Ministers, to come to Galway as we told them the housing crisis was getting worse. This was well before Russia invaded Ukraine and well before the arrival of Covid. We had a housing crisis deliberately caused by Government policy.

We were told in no uncertain terms in 2014 that the only game in town was HAP. We now know that in Galway we have 2,400 people on HAP.

Actually, the task force numbers are higher again. There is the same number of people on HAP in Galway as there is social housing. That does not even include long-term leasing. There is public land in Galway. A task force was set up. I heard Deputy Canney asking for a task force, but a task force was set up in 2019 because of the housing crisis. It has failed to deliver a final report on analysis, suggestions and recommendations. That was set up, but it has just become another layer of bureaucracy.

I keep pointing out to the Minister of State that we do not have enough public land. The public land we do have is not subject to a master plan, so each group is doing its own thing. I have repeatedly pointed out what the board of Galway Harbour is doing with public land. The Land Development Agency is set to take ownership of 6 acres of port lands for housing. The Minister of State has had plenty of time to check whether that will be for public housing. Will that be 100% public housing or is it, as we were told in the headlines, for premium housing only? At what price will this public land go over to the Land Development Agency? Surely it should be at a nominal price - it is going from one public authority to another - if we are seriously interested in tackling the housing crisis in Galway.

I am paid - it is a privilege to be here - and I will keep using my voice, although I despair at saying practically the same thing every year. We are full of suggestions. We are full of solutions. I am tired of the zig-zag across the floor of the House and being told we have no solutions. I have many solutions to the housing crisis, but I am tired of a dysfunctional market being propped up by successive Governments, including the Minister of State's own.

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