Fine Gael’s decade in power to blame for housing crisis says Holly Cairns

Cairns said that the idea that the government was delivering affordable housing was "just more spin".

The Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has blamed the current housing crisis being endured by the Irish public on the Taoiseach's Fine Gael party. Ms. Cairns stated in the Dáil that the housing disaster being experienced in Ireland is the cumulative result of Fine Gael being in government for more than a decade. [caption id="attachment_772637" align="alignnone" width="640"] Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has blamed Fine Gael's decade-long reign in power for the housing crisis. (Credit: Rolling News)[/caption] "During ten years in Fine Gael governments, not a single affordable home was delivered. Last year, this government only managed to deliver 1,700 out of a target of 4,100, that's barely 40%", declared the Cork South-West TD. "The reality is that housing is now only affordable for those on the highest incomes. Workers on average incomes cannot afford to buy a home in Dublin for €500,000 and they cannot afford annual rents around the country of over €20,000 per year either", she added. Ms. Cairns statements come off the back of a calamitous March on the housing front for the coalition government, in a month which saw a number of high-profile errors on their behalf. [caption id="attachment_772640" align="alignnone" width="640"] Taoiseach Leo Varadkar received widespread criticism last month for his handling of the housing crisis. (Credit: Getty Images)[/caption] These incidents included the much-maligned lifting of the eviction ban, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's newly-found landlord status and the failure of the governments tenant-in-situ scheme. The Cork politician went on to say that "There are no signs of hope. The government claims its doing something about the affordability crisis but its just more spin".

"Housing was the governments biggest domestic priority and said that the issue was about supply. You have to recognise that we don't just need supply, but we need affordable supply. Minister (Coveney), I don't think even multi-nationals believe assurances on housing anymore, they like us have been listening to you make the same broken promises for years".

Responding to Ms. Cairns' claims, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said that foreign direct investment had never been stronger and multi-nationals have faith in what the government is doing to solve the housing crisis. [caption id="attachment_772641" align="alignnone" width="640"] Minister Simon Coveney has commended his party for its response to the a collapsed building sector. (Credit: Rolling News)[/caption] Sighting newly-introduced legislation and housing policies recently adopted by the government, Mr. Coveney said that a "dramatic acceleration in affordable housing schemes" would be seen in the coming years. Adding that Ms. Cairns and her party were "handily forgetting" where Ireland was when Fine Gael came to power in 2011, Minister Coveney commended the government's response to a decimated construction sector and having its finances controlled by the IMF. Replying to another comment from Mary Lou McDonald, Mr. Coveney stated that whilst housing is not being delivered at an acceptable rate, that it was rapidly improving; "There are far too many homeless people in this country but we are responding by increasing supply". Related Articles:

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