Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

The Minister does not understand the damage that he does and that Governments have done when they announce a new housing plan. It takes a year to deliver but what a Minister does when he announces a new housing plan is create hope. People are so desperate for housing they would do anything. They look at their Government as they wait for its plan. It has caused devastation to ordinary people because this plan is only a rehash of what we have seen before. There is nothing in here that will solve the housing crisis. There is nothing in here that will solve the homelessness crisis. I take no glee in that. I am actually gutted that there is nothing in this plan.

In my constituency today, four houses came up in Kerry Pike. Hundreds of calls have come into my office for four houses in Kerry Pike because people are so desperate.

Does the Government not understand how hard it is for ordinary people and families who are trying to get a home? They cannot find a home to buy; they cannot afford it. They cannot get somewhere to rent; they cannot afford it. They cannot get social housing. I am talking about the pensioners who have notices to quit. Where will they go? These are people who are terrified about where they are going to go in January because we have a tsunami of evictions coming and the Minister seems to have his head in the sand. Does he not know what is happening? Does he not know what people are living through? He is coming in with this plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. I would love to tell him what I think of it. I am dealing with people who are sleeping on couches or in box bedrooms, and people who are separated for Christmas. Christmas is coming. I have families who have been in emergency accommodation for three years. Imagine those poor children. They cannot put up a proper Christmas tree. They are wondering will Santa come. The parents are then distraught because they are looking. They feel like failures but they are not the failures. The Government is the failure. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are the failure because they put developers and speculators before people. They put money before people. That is what this is doing. It is an absolute disgrace. Where is the hope this Christmas? Who will be lighting a candle for all those homeless people?

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