Pressure is mounting on the Minister for Housing.
The Social Democrats have announced that they will be bringing forward a motion of no confidence in Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy to the Dáil next week.
The party accused Murphy and the Government as a whole of “abjectly” failing Irish families.
They announced the news on Wednesday, with the move taking Government by surprise.
Speaking about the motion of no confidence, Catherine Murphy TD said: “Our housing situation has gone beyond a crisis and has been an emergency for a long time. This Minister and this Government have abjectly failed Irish families, our communities and our economy in not getting to grips with the chronic lack of housing that is affordable to buy or rent.
“The Minister’s trots out his plan – Rebuilding Ireland – but he can’t even meet the tame targets set in that plan. It is failure upon failure. And the consequences for real people are appalling.”
Co-leader of the party Roisín Shortall added: “This Minister and this Government have relied on ‘the market’ to provide solutions to our housing emergency. Under Minister Eoghan Murphy’s watch housing has been even more unaffordable to buy or to rent. An entire generation of people are now locked out of affordable and secure housing.
“Enough is enough. Average rents are 8% higher than last year. Homelessness has gone up 354% since 2014. This means that 10,397 people – including 3,873 children – are homeless. This is a stain on Ireland. And the responsibility lies at the door of this Minister and this Government. It is time for him to go.”
Murphy has since responded to the news on own personal Twitter page, describing it as a “stunt”, and saying that it won’t build any houses.
Stunt from SocDems won’t build one new home.
50,000 new homes built in last 3yrs – 82% increase between 2016 and 2018.
10,000 new social homes this yr – 11,000 next yr & 12,000 following yr.
17,000 homes for first time buyers with the Help to Buy & RI Home-loan.
— Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) November 27, 2019
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