The Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has told The Pat Kenny Show that he agrees with a lot of what the President Michael D Higgins said about the housing crisis.
President Higgins yesterday labelled Government housing policy a “great, great failure”, warning that the situation “isn’t a crisis anymore. It is a disaster.”
His comments have reportedly angered many Government ministers who have accused him of “crossing the line” and of making simplistic arguments.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar refused to criticise the president.
“I think some of what he said was true quite frankly,” he said.
“The housing crisis is a disaster to a lot of people. For the 60% or 70% of us who own our own homes - whether it is outright or through a mortgage - that’s not the case but for the people who are paying very high rents - often half their income in rents – that’s a disaster
“It is a fact that in Ireland at the moment, very often, a couple both of whom have decent jobs, are unable to afford a home.
“That wasn’t the case for most of our history and to me that is a social disaster, that people who are working hard and have decent incomes can’t afford to buy a home.
“Many are so frustrated by that they are even willing to turn to populism and nationalism and Euro-scepticism as a solution.
“In that scenario, they may lose their jobs as well as a house – but that’s a disaster in my view.”
President Michael D Higgins has opened a homeless centre for young adults in Naas, Co Kildare this afternoon.
The facility will accommodate twelve people @NewstalkFM pic.twitter.com/ODq7WYdAlh
— Barry Whyte (@BarryWhyte85) June 14, 2022
Minister Varadkar rejected the idea the crisis is a disaster of Fine Gael’s making.
“We’re responsible for solving it,” he said. “I don’t think we’re responsible for the construction bubble and the housing crash and all those things.
“Part of the reason we have the housing crisis we have is because, 12 years ago we had a housing bubble, a banking collapse and a construction collapse – I certainly wasn’t responsible for that.”
He said the crisis is a “failing of successive governments”, including those involving Fine Gael over the past 11 years.
“Yeah, including with the Labour Party, with left-wing independents and now with Fianna Fáil,” he said.
“If you look north of the border where Sinn Féin has been in power for the best part of 20 years - homelessness and rents are going up, you know, a lot of the same problems.
“So, I think it is a criticism of all of us and I accept that criticism but I’m more interested in solving the problem and taking responsibility for solving the problem.”
