President Michael D Higgins has laid into the Government and slammed their housing policy as a “disaster” and “a great, great failure.”
The President also accused the Government of preferring to take the role of “a star performer for the speculative sector internationally."
Our Head of State had the gloves off when he made his shock criticism of the Department of Housing, the line minister, Darragh O’Brien and the Coalition in general in his scathing remarks.
His comments have already been backed by opposition politicians, with Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman, Eoin Ó Broin, and Labour housing spokeswoman, Rebecca Moynihan, both agreeing with the President.
Ms Moynihan said “it is a failure” and Mr Ó Broin said: “It’s a statement of fact.”
But a spokesman for Housing Minister O’Brien claimed to the Mirror that the Government is “seeing some very positive trends with housing...”
There is supposed to be a clear separation of powers between the office of President and the executive power of the State, the Government.
And it has been custom in the past for the President to stay out of politics once elected President.
President Higgins has often come very close to open criticism of the Government in the past and he seems to have come very close again.
The President was opening a new housing service for young adults in Kildare when he spoke about the country’s housing crisis.
He said: “I often ask myself, you know, how Republican is what we created and isn’t it sometimes very much closer to the Poor Law system, we thought we were departing from?
“That is a real challenge.
“I have taken as well to speaking ever more frankly in relation to housing because I think it is our great, great, great failure.
“It isn’t a crisis anymore, it is a disaster and I think we have to really think about meeting the basic needs of people in a Republic – be that food, shelter or education.”
The President added: "Building homes is what is important.
“It is not to be a star performer for the speculative sector internationally."
Speaking to the Irish Mirror after hearing his comments, Labour’s Ms Moynihan said: “he’s right, it’s more than a crisis, it is a failure.”
And Mr Ó Broin of Sinn Féin said: “President Higgins’ remarks are a statement of fact.
“Our housing system is a disaster.
“Successive governments are failing to meet one of people’s most basic needs, the need for shelter.
“In the two years since Darragh O’Brien has been Minister for Housing, homelessness has increased, rents and house prices have increased, the delivery of social and affordable homes has been exceptionally slow.
“And contrary to the Minister’s claims, Government policy is geared towards big developers, landlords and investors.
“It is hard not to conclude that the President’s remarks were not intended as a direct criticism of both the last Government and the current Government for failing on housing and continually putting the needs of speculators before the needs of working people, families and those in acute housing need.”
The Housing Minister has defended his record in the wake of the President’s unprecedented attack.
A spokesman said: “The Minister is very aware of the many challenges which exist in housing.
“Increasing supply of all types of housing – social, affordable purchase, cost rental and private is at the heart of the Housing for All policy.
“We need to get to a point where an average of at least 33,000 homes are being delivered each year and that’s what the four pathways in Housing for All are focussed on.
“We’re thankfully seeing some very positive trends with housing commencements, completions and planning permissions all rising significantly.
“The plan contains 18 separate actions to tackle homelessness and reach the overall objective of ending homelessness by 2030.
“These actions are being progressed as a matter of priority to try to reverse the upward trend which we have seen recently in homelessness figures.
“Huge challenges remain, the Minister does not underestimate these challenges, but is working with his Department, with NGOs and with all Stakeholders to address them.”
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