Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last night, I talked to a young family in Lusk. They are a husband, wife and two kids. I know them and knew them when they lived in Swords. They were evicted from their property because their landlord was selling up. They are both working and have good jobs. They work damn hard. In any normal, functioning society, those people would, without question, be able to buy their own home. They are now staying with family in an overcrowded house in Lusk. When they look down the road, they see that the Government has put a label of "affordable housing" on houses costing €560,000. How in the name of Jesus are they supposed to pay that money? They work hard. They could not save because the Government has destroyed the rental market. They were paying astronomical rents. They are now forced into overcrowded accommodation. The stress of that is on them, their kids and their family who have taken them in. All the while, they look down the road and the message they get from the Government is that they can have an affordable house for €560,000. What planet does the Minister live on? In what way, shape or form? Even the Taoiseach acknowledged a couple of months ago on the floor of the Dáil that he did not regard €560,000 as affordable.

Thankfully, at least one party in the House has a plan that will deliver homes that are actually affordable for people on normal wages. I do not know who the Minister hangs around with or what kind of money they have, but most people - the vast majority of ordinary people - cannot ever hope to be able to put together the necessary funds to purchase a house for €560,000. How insulting to tell them that is affordable, when it so plainly is not. They work. They pay their taxes. People are raising their children in my constituency, which is a great place to live, but they are stuck in overcrowded accommodation for God knows how long. They are losing hope, but they will get their chance at the next election to back our plan, A Home of Your Own, for affordable housing.

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