Sinn Féin Chief Whip, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD, has said the government is willfully avoiding Dáil scrutiny ahead of the local elections.

Teachta Mac Lochlainn said:

“Next week is the final Dáil sitting week before the local and European elections. It is becoming increasingly clear that government is willfully evading scrutiny on the big issues that matter to people, ahead of these elections.

“Time and again, we see government kick to touch attempts to secure accountability. This week saw the leaking of the Housing Commission’s report. The report was highly critical of government housing policy and outlined the need for a radical overhaul to end the housing crisis that is causing misery for people the length and breadth of the state.

“Housing is one of the biggest issues facing our people, because of the housing crisis Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have overseen together. The Taoiseach indicated that there would be time allocated next week to discuss the Commission’s report in the Dáil. That hasn’t materialised.

“In the same vein, Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has requested for weeks now that Minister McEntee and Minister O’Gorman come into the Dáil to take questions about the migration crisis that is seeing people living in tents along the canal amid accommodation shortages. The government is evading scrutiny on this and has refused to permit these questions.

“Similarly, we have been informed that the government has kicked discussion of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact to touch until after the election.

“Housing and immigration are important issues that the government has totally failed to deliver on. Their failure to plan has resulted in a chaotic situation that has undermined public trust. The public, rightly, expect that government will be transparent about this and be held to account for this.

“Dodging accountability on the big issues that matter is entirely unacceptable. Government cannot keep running away on these important topics. They must ensure there is full accountability without delay and stop blocking scrutiny by opposition politicians.”