Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Jennifer Marley is 88 years of age and has been living in rented accommodation in Bantry for the past six years. She has received a notice to quit her rented home as the landlord wants to sell. We are frantically trying to get Jennifer a house she can call her own as she is not suited to sheltered accommodation at 88 years of age.

Tomorrow, Independent Ireland will put forward a motion in the House calling for legislative action on infrastructure reform to accelerate housing delivery. We propose up to 23 measures in our motion to address the housing crisis, including everything from declaring a housing emergency to rewarding high-performing councils, in an attempt to ensure delivery for the people of Ireland and stop the empty talk.

The mess we are in now has left Jennifer Marley in Bantry facing an uncertain future, with the real prospect of being left without a roof over her head. She has told me I can show the House the picture of her I am holding in my hand. This woman, who is 88 years of age and part of the fabric of our community, must leave her home in a short few weeks. What hope - by which I mean real hope - will the Taoiseach give Jennifer today that she can be guaranteed to have a roof over her head in four weeks' time?

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