Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It has been well documented in this House that you cannot call a person a liar in the Dáil, so I will refrain from doing so in what I have to say. Micheál Martin misled the people of Ireland in the recent election campaign, Simon Harris spoofed them and Jack Chambers simply told big, fat porky pies to them. They misled the electorate in saying they would build 40,000 homes. They knew this was not going to happen, yet this was what they told the people of Ireland in the lead-up to the general election. I have no faith that the housing crisis will be solved under this Government. It simply does not have the will or the ability to clean up the mess it made.

A prime example of these proposed changes and cuts is the tenant in situ scheme. It is not often that the Government gets things right when it comes to housing but, under pressure from Sinn Féin and other Opposition parties, the former Minister for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, was forced to reopen the tenant in situ scheme. What does the Government do when it gets something right? It moves the goalposts. Since April 2023, the tenant in situ scheme has saved around 2,500 households from being made homeless. In my area, South Dublin County Council has acquired 118 homes for families through the tenant in situ scheme. These 118 homes are for families with children, couples, single people and pensioners. These tenants all received notices to quit from their landlords and were in real danger of becoming homeless. Since January, this support has been suspended for new applications due to the failure of the outgoing Government to agree funding allocations for 2025. The Government is proposing a series of restrictions to the operation of the scheme, which would result in fewer purchases this year than last year. These restrictions are unnecessary and unwarranted.

I was at a recent meeting with representatives of South Dublin County Council who informed me they have 71 homes approved for purchase under the tenant in situ scheme. Any funding restrictions or restrictions in how this scheme is operated could result in these 71 families becoming homeless. What does the Government say to these families who have been in this process sometimes for over a year? How do these parents explain to their children that they will have to go into emergency accommodation? What does the Government say to the landlords who entered this process in good faith? Later tonight, Sinn Féin will bring forward a motion from my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, to fully fund the tenant in situ scheme, but I believe there is a proposed amendment to make it mean absolutely nothing. I ask, therefore, those from all parties and none to support our motion tonight and not to go with the amendments the Government has proposed. The Government got something right with the tenant in situ scheme. It has a chance to keep it going for the rest of this term.

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