On the 10th April, Labour will bring a motion to the Dáil calling for a fundamental shift in the Government’s approach to housing.
With over 10,ooo people homeless, many struggling to buy or rent, and colossal wait-times on the housing list, it’s clear that Fine Gael’s free-market approach isn’t working. Labour’s motion identifies how €16 billion can be made available to achieve this, without raising taxes, by financing it from the Rainy Day Fund and Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, alongside a commitment to allowing Credit Unions to invest in such a public housing fund. This will allow for the State to build 80,000 homes.
The motion also focuses on the thousands of homes that can be better insulated to help meet Ireland’s obligation to reduce carbon emissions, and to reduce fuel poverty.
Labour wants to return powers to local authorities through Housing Executives for the management, maintenance and development of housing at local government level.
Housing is the issue of our times and a central issue to my campaign. Everyone has a right to shelter and the State has failed to provide that. I strongly hope that our TDs will vote for this motion and encourage everyone to email their TDs to ask that they do.