Housing crisis deepens: Radical Government action needed

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD slammed Government’s continued failure to tackle the housing crisis. This comes as the latest residential property price index, compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), indicates that property prices increased by 9.6 per cent in the 12 months to the end of July.

Deputy Bacik said:

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have shown their inability to deliver affordable homes, secure tenancies, or address the chronic housing undersupply. Another indication of Government failure to tackle the housing disaster, the CSO has reported that house-price inflation accelerated again in July with values now rising at an annual rate of almost 10 per cent.

“This comes on the same day that the Central Bank warned that the Irish housing market has suffered from a decade of undersupply, with dire consequences for renters and buyers. We know that the Housing for All plan has utterly failed. Three years on, we are no closer to providing secure, affordable housing for the people of Ireland.

“Whether it’s the Central Bank report or the Housing Commission or another Daft Report. All indications show what we all know – Government’s failure to act is making things worse, we risk creating a future where homeownership is out of reach for an entire generation.  We need radical solutions, not piecemeal efforts. Young people cannot afford homes, families are trapped in insecure rental accommodation, and our housing stock is woefully insufficient.

“We urgently need to focus on three key areas: affordable housing, security of tenure for renters, and a more ambitious public housing programme. This Government’s current housing policy has let down an entire generation. The promise of affordable housing is meaningless when house prices and rents continue to soar. We must take bold steps to build a real public housing programme – one that addresses the scale of the crisis.

“Labour has a clear vision for housing. A clear plan to build better, together. To safeguard children and protect them from entering homelessness, to ensure strong protections for renters and to ramp up the delivery of homes at a level necessary to tackle the chronic under shortage in the housing market.

“The next Government will need to invest in a radical, realistic public housing programme. We need to ensure that local authorities are fully resourced to build homes, and that we prioritise long-term affordability and security of tenure for all renters. This Government has failed – it’s time for a new approach.”