Rachel Cuningham
The leader of the Labour Party has stated that the Census of Population 2022 Profile on Housing in Ireland indicates that the government is in possession of a ticking time bomb.
The housing spokesperson claimed that the profile highlights how unprepared the government is to deal with the compounding crisis for people looking for a safe, secure and affordable home.
“Every person has a right to a home. However, that right is not being properly vindicated in Ireland today,” said Ivana Bacik.
“There was a time when a single income family could reasonably expect to be able to purchase a home and pay off a mortgage before retirement. That is simply not a reality anymore.
“Our social security system and our system of care for older people is predicated on the assumption that older people will own their own home. Already, so many people, young and old, are suffering due to the broken private rented sector and the lack of housing supply.
“The number of older people renting is up 83 per cent since the last Census in 2016. That is a staggering increase. What’s more, average rents have risen by more the 37 per cent in that same period.”
The Labour leader said that more people are renting in Ireland but fewer can afford to do so, with some even facing eviction.
“Despite the harrowing reality for renters, the government will not even agree to introduce modest protections, such as restricting no-fault evictions,” she stated.
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are running scared from policies, which even the Conservative Party in Britain now accepts as necessary.
“The government has abandoned generations of people to the private rental casino. Of course, this is a game they can only lose.
“Lifting the temporary no-fault eviction ban and kite-flying more budget measures for landlords, without corresponding measures for renters, show a cynicism from the government and an attempt to rally support in the run-up to next year’s elections. They have got it wrong,” she added.
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