Amid rumours that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael intend to bury any meaningful reform of housing policy into a Housing Commission, Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin has urged the Green Party ‘not to be fooled by such a ruse.’

Deputy Ó Broin said:

“Housing reform should not be put on the long finger and buried in a pointless commission in order for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to get their way and maintain the status quo.

“People desperately waiting on affordable homes to rent and to buy cannot wait for a Commission to tell us what we already know.

“Housing is too expensive, and the government must step in to deliver affordable homes to rent and to buy on public land.

“Kicking the reform of housing to a commission is a typical Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael political fudge.

“Neither party wants reform. This is exemplified by the commitment in the confidence and supply agreement to explore the right to housing.

“However, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael colluded to take this away from the Housing Committee and buried it in the Finance Committee where it never saw the light of day.

“Fianna Fáil’s efforts to be in both government and opposition during the last Dáil term talked a good game but when push came to shove failed to support any progressive changes that could have been made.

“This included a failure to support a bill on the right to housing and supporting Fine Gael budgets that did little to support the delivery of genuinely affordable homes.

“In fact, we are still waiting on Fianna Fáil to publish any policy on affordable housing.

“The idea of a commission for housing came from well-meaning lobbies during the general election campaign. However, for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to now jump on this proposal to avoid adopting any progressive programme for government housing policies is cynical politics at its finest.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted to deliver on housing. Their records speak for themselves and now they are hoping to bury any meaningful change such as a constitutional right to housing and a new public housing policy that would meet social and affordable need in a commission that we don’t need.

“I would urge the Green Party, Fianna Fáil Councillors and TDs and members not to be taken in by this ruse and to reject any deal that fails to deliver real change on housing.

“Housing was the key issue during the last general election and voters will not forgive politicians who squander the opportunity to deliver meaningful change.”