Several Dublin City councillors voted on Monday evening to support a motion demanding increased capital spending on housing in the upcoming 2019 Budget.
The cross-party motion received overwhelming support, with only two councillors voting against the proposition.
In the motion, it demands that at least an extra €2.3 billion is allocated to housing in the upcoming budget, which is expected to be announced on October 9.
Members of several parties, including Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail and Labour, all voted in favour of the motion.
Dublin City Council is set to debate a housing motion demanding increased capital spending on housing to at least €2.3bn in Budget 2019.
The cross-party motion will be debated at tomorrow’s extraordinary Dublin City Council meeting.
The chairperson of Dublin City Council’s housing committee, Cllr Daithi Doolan (SF), told Dublin Gazette: “What happens now is that the motion will be debated in Leinster House on October 3; there will be a full Dail vote on it.
“The important, significant part of the vote is that Fianna Fail, who voted for it at DCC, will find it difficult to vote against it in the Dail.
“As their councillors voted for the motion in the biggest local authority on the island, it would be hard for them to vote against it in Leinster House.”
Cllr Doolan also said that Lord Mayor Nial Ring, will contact the Minister for Housing now in regard to the motion, and communicate that support was overwhelming.
Cllr Ring will also request that the council be permitted to make a presentation in front of the Dail committee for housing about the effects of the housing crisis in Dublin.
Cllr Doolan said: “This has never happened before – there’s never been a city council presentation to that Dail committee. It will be very big to get to make this presentation.
“The motion was cross-party, which was quite significant, as it’s usually party-political. [Cllr Ring] supported it as well, which was great, so I’m very happy with it.”
News of the progress of the motion comes in the days after a major protest was held across the city to highlight the housing crisis.
Cllr Doolan added: “[Protestors] are highlighting the fact that there’s buildings lying idle in Dublin, and bringing attention to the fact they could be used for homeless families, which is a positive action.
“I think buildings lying idle in the city in the wake of the homeless crisis is a travesty, and I think the way that the State responded was unacceptable; very sinister.
“If you contrast that with the lack of intervention when families are being evicted, suffering from an illegal eviction, the Gardai won’t get involved. They’ll say it’s a civil matter, but they’ll support the bully-boy tactics of some landlords.”
There will also be a protest by a number of groups held outside the Dail on October 3, as housing – and the DCC motion – are debated in the chamber.
