Menu
24/03/2015
Alan Kelly Has 'Serious Questions To Answer' - SF
Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has "serious questions to answer" following revelations that the government allegedly planned to "spin" housing figures, Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Dessie Ellis has said.
Requesting a debate in the Dáil, Deputy Ellis said: "The government's housing policy has been an exercise is spin since they took office. They have made countless claims to be delivering housing and tackling the crisis but all the evidence shows that things have only gotten worse.
"Since they have taken office, housing needed has spiralled out of control, rents have gone up 34% in Dublin and homelessness and rough sleeping are at record levels.
"The government has produced a housing strategy document but this again was much more spin than anything else. It has claimed to have the potential to deliver 45,000 homes but this has been revealed as inaccurate even in the best case scenario.
"The government has also claimed it will deliver 7400 new social housing units but we have shown that 5000 of these are expected to come from the private sector despite there being a serious shortage of private rental properties.
"The Minister for Environment claimed incorrectly rent controls would be unconstitutional, then claimed to be planning to regulate rents when in fact he plans to give tax breaks to landlords to lower their rates.
"This Minister has also claimed a new Housing Assistance Payment will not be used to force people off waiting lists for council homes when they take up a private rental place but council presentations made recently in Limerick reveal that they will.
"They are also intent on pretending they are spending record levels on housing, claiming an investment of four billion euro despite the fact the figure is actually 200 million less and spread over the next six years amounting to marginally more than the spend on housing in the preceding six years.
"This government has from day one sought to spin rather than deliver on housing from NAMA to these emails nothing has changed at government level while things have only gotten worse for renters and those in need of housing."
(MH/IT)
Requesting a debate in the Dáil, Deputy Ellis said: "The government's housing policy has been an exercise is spin since they took office. They have made countless claims to be delivering housing and tackling the crisis but all the evidence shows that things have only gotten worse.
"Since they have taken office, housing needed has spiralled out of control, rents have gone up 34% in Dublin and homelessness and rough sleeping are at record levels.
"The government has produced a housing strategy document but this again was much more spin than anything else. It has claimed to have the potential to deliver 45,000 homes but this has been revealed as inaccurate even in the best case scenario.
"The government has also claimed it will deliver 7400 new social housing units but we have shown that 5000 of these are expected to come from the private sector despite there being a serious shortage of private rental properties.
"The Minister for Environment claimed incorrectly rent controls would be unconstitutional, then claimed to be planning to regulate rents when in fact he plans to give tax breaks to landlords to lower their rates.
"This Minister has also claimed a new Housing Assistance Payment will not be used to force people off waiting lists for council homes when they take up a private rental place but council presentations made recently in Limerick reveal that they will.
"They are also intent on pretending they are spending record levels on housing, claiming an investment of four billion euro despite the fact the figure is actually 200 million less and spread over the next six years amounting to marginally more than the spend on housing in the preceding six years.
"This government has from day one sought to spin rather than deliver on housing from NAMA to these emails nothing has changed at government level while things have only gotten worse for renters and those in need of housing."
(MH/IT)
Related Irish News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
28 August 2015
Sinn Féin's Opposition To Housing Plans 'Almost Beyond Belief' - Dowds
Sinn Féin's opposition to a proposal to build 50 new social housing units in Clondalkin has been described as an "absolutely disgrace and almost beyond belief". Labour TD Robert Dowds accused Cllr Eoin Ó Broin of "complete political cowardice", and that it was people on the housing waiting list that would suffer as a result.
Sinn Féin's Opposition To Housing Plans 'Almost Beyond Belief' - Dowds
Sinn Féin's opposition to a proposal to build 50 new social housing units in Clondalkin has been described as an "absolutely disgrace and almost beyond belief". Labour TD Robert Dowds accused Cllr Eoin Ó Broin of "complete political cowardice", and that it was people on the housing waiting list that would suffer as a result.
07 August 2014
Govt Accused Of Ignoring Scale Of Housing Crisis
The government has been accused of maintaining policy that ensures a "huge" housing shortage, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said. Mr Adams also accused the government of failing to "face up" to the scale of the housing crisis, particularly in the Greater Dublin area.
Govt Accused Of Ignoring Scale Of Housing Crisis
The government has been accused of maintaining policy that ensures a "huge" housing shortage, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has said. Mr Adams also accused the government of failing to "face up" to the scale of the housing crisis, particularly in the Greater Dublin area.
29 November 2013
Unfinished Housing Developments Report Published
Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O'Sullivan, TD, has published the second annual progress report on tackling the issue of unfinished housing developments which points to "even more progress in bringing to a conclusion this most distressing of circumstances left over from the doomed tiger years.
Unfinished Housing Developments Report Published
Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O'Sullivan, TD, has published the second annual progress report on tackling the issue of unfinished housing developments which points to "even more progress in bringing to a conclusion this most distressing of circumstances left over from the doomed tiger years.
15 January 2019
Sinn Fein Call For Taoiseach's Housing Plan To Be Scrapped
Sinn Fein is demanding an overhaul of the Government's housing policy due to the increasing number of homeless people and growing demand for social housing across the nation.
Sinn Fein Call For Taoiseach's Housing Plan To Be Scrapped
Sinn Fein is demanding an overhaul of the Government's housing policy due to the increasing number of homeless people and growing demand for social housing across the nation.
18 April 2016
Minister For the Environment Publishes Housing Actions Report
The Laying the Foundations: Housing Actions Report, which includes a number of actions taken across the housing spectrum to date, has been published by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly.
Minister For the Environment Publishes Housing Actions Report
The Laying the Foundations: Housing Actions Report, which includes a number of actions taken across the housing spectrum to date, has been published by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly.
-
Ireland WeatherToday:A rather cloudy morning, with a little patchy light rain or drizzle to start. Skies clearing and becoming dry and increasingly sunny in the afternoon. Maximum temperature 13 °C.Tonight:Dry with prolonged clear spells through the evening and overnight. This will allow for some fog patches to develop in places overnight. Minimum temperature 2 °C.
