Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)

I am not straying into the housing area. I am putting the issue into the context of a city where we have a massive housing crisis. I do not exaggerate. People have been on a waiting list for 20 years. We jump for joy when someone gets a house after 15 years. That is the context. In addition, we have two universities. A disaster of a decision was taken years ago before the arrival of the ATU. The Corrib Great Southern hotel should have been bought by the Government, as it would have solved half the problems. Of course, it was not bought. It was sold on to a bidder with lots of money and then left vacant. The problems have been created not just by the universities, which I blame, but by Government policy. Now investment funds are coming in. It is unusual that so many residents would stand together. I count at least nine residents' associations that are extremely upset. I do not want to find myself in a position of being against student accommodation. I have cried out for student accommodation on campus, State-provided land, so that the prices come down, rather than having it provided by for-profit investment funds that will use them during the summer for other purposes with little regard for residents in the area.

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