Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)

It is deeply disappointing that not only did the Minister fail to address the question but he also misrepresented Sinn Féin's policy. Let me set the record straight. In our alternative housing plan, we have made provision for 6,500 acquisitions over five years, 2,000 this year, reducing by 200 each year until 2029. That is because we make the assumption that demand for the scheme over five years will reduce. The Minister is providing no extra funding for acquisitions in the largest local authorities in this year. What he has allocated will deal just with last year's applications, and some of those applications will not now be processed because the Minister has changed the rules for tenant in situ and people who otherwise would have been prevented from becoming homeless will lose access to the scheme.

My question is very simple. When Cork City Council says it has no money now for acquisitions applied for in 2025, will the Minister meet with the council, the councillors and the executive and discuss expanding the budget? When Dublin City Council finally works through its overhang from last year and confirms, just like Cork city has done, that there will be no money for new housing first acquisitions or tenant in situ acquisitions this year, will the Minister meet the councillors and the management and reopen the funding? If he does not, more people will become homeless. Misrepresenting Sinn Féin's policy is not a smart move when families' well-being is at risk because the Minister cut funding and they will become homeless as a consequence.

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