Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)

A document was produced by Fingal County Council which identifies land banks, including one in Dublin 15 which could accommodate 20,000 homes.

Today, I received a reply from Fingal County Council. It has 105 families with termination notices or notices of eviction in Dublin 15 alone. I am coming to the Taoiseach as a TD from that area reporting a humanitarian crisis. I want to highlight some of the cases that our councillors are dealing with due to these notices of termination. One person has a child with cerebral palsy. Another person is in homeless accommodation with children who have no space to move and no area to play. Another person is in homeless accommodation and has to cross the M50 every single day. Another person has a child in an autism unit and, as the Taoiseach knows, it is very hard to get an alternative place if they lose their home. Another woman is still breastfeeding after having her newborn. There are many others with disabilities, autism and neurodiversity. When will we address the fact that instead of throwing money at developers, that money could have been given to councils to develop land banks like this, build real affordable homes and social homes, and end this humanitarian disaster?

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