Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has called on Minister Darragh O’Brien to “clarify the Government’s intention with respect to the Programme for Government commitment to hold a referendum on housing”.

Teachta Ó Broin’s comments were made during an Oireachtas Housing Committee hearing from ‘Home For Good’, a civil society coalition advocating for a referendum to insert the Right to Housing into the Constitution.

The Dublin Mid-West TD said:

“Home for Good is a broad based civil society group calling for a referendum to insert the Right to Housing into the Constitution. Sinn Féin fully supports this campaign.

“During the last Dáil, Sinn Féin tabled a Constitutional Amendment Bill which was defeated by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. The new Programme for Government commits to holding a ‘referendum on housing’.

“Minister Darragh O’Brien needs to clarify the Government’s intention with respect to the Programme for Government commitment to hold a referendum on housing. I am asking if all parties to that Programme have agreed that this will be a referendum on the Right to Housing, and if so when will this referendum take place?

“Home for Good have produced a formal wording for the Referendum, following extensive consultation with legal experts and practitioners.

“They made clear at the Oireachtas Committee today that such a provision would be a helpful tool in advancing the provision of secure and affordable accommodation particularly in times of acute housing need and crisis.”