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Sinn Féin says 'time is running out' for minister to deal with housing crisis

Sinn Féin says 'time is running out' for the Housing Minister to deal with the homeless cr...
Newstalk
Newstalk

14.03 5 Apr 2018


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Sinn Féin says 'time i...

Sinn Féin says 'time is running out' for minister to deal with housing crisis

Newstalk
Newstalk

14.03 5 Apr 2018


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Sinn Féin says 'time is running out' for the Housing Minister to deal with the homeless crisis - but the party will not be tabling a motion of no confidence in Eoghan Murphy yet.

Figures released last week showed the total number of people in emergency accommodation last month was 9,807 - an increase of more than 700 compared to January's figures

Sinn Féin published a document earlier today on Fianna Fáil’s housing policy, accusing Micheál Martin of “sheer hypocrisy” in his criticism of the current Government's housing policy.

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Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson, says the Fine Gael-led minority government is failing the homeless - but his party will be giving Minister Murphy another chance.

Deputy Ó Broin argued: "The Minister for Housing is showing himself to be as inept as his predecessor - and that's not my opinion, that's the figures.

"Time is running out for him - when he was appointed, I stood up in the Dáil and I said I wanted him to succeed... [that] we want to see the numbers of adults and children in emergency accommodation fall... but he wouldn't have unlimited time."

He added: "Are we considering a motion of no confidence now? No, we're not. Is that something we may consider if the figures continue to go in the wrong direction over the coming months? Yes."

'Sheer hypocrisy' 

On the subject of Fianna Fáil, the Sinn Féin TD suggested the main opposition party's claim of building more social houses when in Government, compared to the current administration, doesn’t stack up.

He said that in 2006, when the largest number of houses were built, less than 7% were for social housing.

He observed: "Fine Gael is too dependent on the private sector, and Fine Gael isn't building enough social housing - Micheál Martin is right.

"But the very fact that they're the same policies that Micheál Martin supported in government and he's facilitating in opposition means he absolutely can't be trusted on social housing, affordable housing, the private rental sector or housing more generally."


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