Fine Gael Slam Sinn Fein's Demands For Housing Policy Overhaul

A Fine Gael TD has criticised Sinn Fein after they branded the Government's housing development policy a "failure".

Dun Laoghaire TD Maria Bailey, who is Chair of the Oireachtas Housing Committee, said: "Billboards won't build houses, evidence based realistic policy will.

"Rebuilding Ireland is the corner stone of the government's response to the current housing situation, it is a collaborative document in which stakeholder and experts played a huge role."

It comes after Sinn Fein's spokesperson for housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD launched a billboard outside Government Buildings on Tuesday 15 January and called for Leo Varadkar to scrap the housing initiative altogether and initiate an overhaul of the sector.

The Sinn Fein TD said at the time: "Rebuilding Ireland has failed. There are almost 13,000 adults and children in emergency accommodation and sleeping rough. There are 130,000 households in need of social housing. There are tens of thousands of people unable to rent or buy a home and thousands more struggling to afford their rent or mortgages.

"The reason is because Fine Gael, just like Fianna Fáil, are failing to invest in public housing to meet social and affordable housing need while at the same time over relying on the private sector."

Accusing the party of misleading people, Mrs Bailey continued: "If Sinn Fein wants to pay for billboards to drive around Dublin, that is their choice. My preference would be if they used such billboards to highlight the supports that are available, rather than using them as a publicity stunt.

"I would rather talk about the difficulties we are facing in an honest way and not mislead people with flash headlines.

"Rebuilding Ireland is working, we are seeing progress, albeit not at the pace we would like, however it is the policy platform we need to get our construction industry and housing supply back up and running.

"Housing is a vast and complex area and it requires an all-encompassing policy approach, it must be tackled in totality and not piecemeal. That is what government has been doing since 2016 and it is what government will continue to do into the future.

"Fine Gael in Government is using Rebuilding Ireland to generate solid foundations on which we can deliver Ireland 2040, which will provide better opportunities and communities for all."



(JG/CM)