The Labour Party has rejected claims that it has objected to nearly 11,000 houses in Dublin in the last three years.
Fine Gael’s Richard Bruton issued a statement on Saturday morning, the second day of the Labour Party Conference, stating the party had "objected to or attempted to hinder the progress of at least 10,804 homes" in Dublin City Council since 2020. The accusations comes just days before Labour’s motion of no confidence in the Government following its decision to lift the eviction ban.
Mr Bruton claimed that Labour leader Ivana Bacik had objected to 894 units, Áodhán Ó Ríordáin had objected to 807, Senator Marie Sherlock had objected to 2,995 homes and housing spokesperson and Senator Rebecca Moynihan had objected to 1,595.
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Speaking in Cork, Senator Sherlock disputed that she objected to nearly 3,000 homes. She said: "When we hear Fine Gael putting out figures like that, they’re doing so from the benefit of a very comfortable house with no consideration for what has actually been proposed by a number of developers."
"Housing where some of it doesn't even have natural daylight, in substandard floor areas below the regulations, according to Dublin City Council. This is now in a week where Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil and the Greens, have voted to see thousands of people with a sword over their heads with regards to homelessness and eviction over the coming months.
"They're now trying to throw it back to us with regards to what we have objected to. What I have sought is that you have decent homes for individuals and families. In my book, co-living is not a home."
Ms Sherlock claimed that 60 per cent of the homes that are seeking planning permissions are "build to rent, student accommodation and co-living", which she said is "sub-standard and beyond the pocket of people who are on ordinary incomes".
She added: "Are you saying people should go into slum housing? That is what Fine Gael have asked for."
When asked if she believed that people facing eviction are worried about the "height" of developments, Senator Sherlock said that she was worried about light on the surrounding communities.
Mr Ó Ríordáin, meanwhile, suggested that Fine Gael councillors had voted against social housing and traveller accommodation in his Dublin Bay North constituency.
He added: "Labour councillors and Labour representatives want good quality housing and we don't want private developers to make endless cash and profit out of developments.
"This is absolute classic deflection tactics and Fine Gael who are the ones who have just voted to end the eviction ban."
Mr Bruton accused the Labour Party of "hypocrisy" over the objections. He said: "This is equivalent to four years of new housing supply at current rates.
"It is hard to see how that serves their constituents’ interests in the midst of a housing crisis. It is hard not to see hypocrisy in attacking Government performance against this background," he added.
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