07/08/2014

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.

Citing the latest ESRI report, which has said that upwards of 90,000 new homes will be needed in the next seven years, Mr Adams said: "The current housing crisis has been brought about by the policy of the Fine Gael/Labour government which has refused to tackle increasing rents, lack of social housing and a general lack of house completions.

"The Government appears oblivious to the sheer scale of the housing crisis. There is not enough available housing to meet demand. Rents have increased year-on-year since the present government took office.

"Families are being pushed out of their homes due to the inflexibility of government policy and the unwillingness to provide new public housing stock.

Mr Adams said that his party was demanding the adoption of a housing policy that "delivers the necessary social housing stock to meet the needs of those languishing on waiting lists."

(MH/JP)

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