Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald has labelled the housing crisis a “catastrophe” during a heated shouting match with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Dáil.
It comes as the opposition accused Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien of denying that there was a “housing emergency”.
During a head-to-head debate with Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin, Minister O’Brien was asked by Virgin Media presenter Claire Brock: "Do you think we are in a state of emergency when it comes to housing?”
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He said, “no I don’t” but added that "for many people it is an emergency. I recognise that". He later said, "there is an accommodation crisis".
During Leader’s Questions, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said that Minister O’Brien “claimed that we do not have a housing emergency”.
She said that “hundreds” of “victims of the housing emergency” had been in touch with the party as she read some testimonies onto the Dáil record. This included a letter from a woman called Tracy who said she had to dip into her overdraft every month in order to pay for her mortgage.
In response, the Taoiseach said that housing was the “single most urgent and important social issue facing our society”. He argued that house commencements are up and the Government will meet its 24,800 target for new homes in 2022.
“We all accept the challenges for people out there,” Mr Martin said. “The answer is to build more houses.”
In response, Ms McDonald said that the Government’s housing record included “highest rents, highest house prices, highest levels of homelessness”.
“Taoiseach can I put it to you, do you accept this is a catastrophe?” she asked. “Do you accept that we are living through a housing emergency? If like your Minister you do not, that goes a very long way to explain your abject failure in meeting the housing needs of people.”
An annoyed Mr Martin accused Sinn Féin of being “populist”. “You are not going to put words in my mouth,” he told the Sinn Féin leader. Ms McDonald quipped back: “And you’re not going to put roofs over people’s heads.”
The Taoiseach said Ms McDonald had not put any proposals forward during her contribution as he criticised Mr Ó Broin for interrupting him while he was speaking.
The Sinn Féin housing spokesperson accused the Taoiseach of attempting to “dismiss real life experience” of people who were experiencing the Government’s “failed housing crisis”.
“An absolute disgrace,” Mr Ó Broin said.
Mr Martin hit back at Mr Ó Broin for suggesting that the Government “was not empathetic” towards people struggling with housing issues as he accused Sinn Féin of being “serial objectors” to housing developments.
The Dáil then broke into chaos as both the Government and Sinn Féin roared across the chamber, forcing Leas Ceann Comhairle Catherine Catherine to step in and tell both sides to stop interrupting the other.
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