Mary Lou McDonald has said the row over the €430,000 housing tsar job is proof that the Government is “utterly clueless” about how to increase house building.
Yesterday, NAMA boss Brendan McDonagh announced he no longer wishes to be considered for the new job of CEO of the Housing Activation Office.
If appointed, it is understood he would have kept his NAMA salary of €430,000 - a pay package that is larger than that of President Michael D Higgins, Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell or Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald described the current Government as incapable of tackling the housing crisis.
“My fundamental reaction to the whole sorry mess is that it’s proof once again of a Government that is utterly clueless, that has no plan,” she said.
“It seems to me now that it’s in full blown panic mode and I think this move to find this tsar… I think it was an attempt at a distraction policy, an attempt to look as though the Government were doing something.
“When in fact, the evidence of their continuing failure… is evident for everyone to see.”
What an absolute shambles.
Total incompetence from @JamesBrowneTD @MichealMartinTD & @SimonHarrisTD
Meanwhile people in housing need continue to suffer! https://t.co/9uTQy8dwr4
— Eoin Ó Broin (@EOBroin) May 1, 2025
The row has also led to some tension between the two Government parties, with Fine Gael unhappy with the decision of Housing Minister James Browne to announce on RTÉ that Mr McDonagh was his preferred candidate for the position.
“It really sent signals up in Fine Gael,” Louise Burne from the Irish Daily Mirror told Newstalk.
“Because they were saying, ‘Hang on a minute, why are you going on radio? This hasn’t been discussed between the Tánaiste Simon Harris and Taoiseach Micheál Martin? These sorts of things need to be discussed at leaders’ level.’
“At a post-Cabinet briefing for journalists, which is something which happens every week after Cabinet with the Government press secretaries, Simon Harris’ spokesman said the Tánaiste believed it should have been discussed at leader level before this name was made public.”
Ms Burne described the row as “very embarrassing” for Minister Browne, as well as the Government as a whole.
Main image: Mary Lou McDonald. Picture by:Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
