Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin TD, has said that the housing and homelessness crisis will continue to deepen for as long as the current government remains in office.

His comments were made as Fianna Fáil failed to announce any new policies to address the housing and homelessness crisis at their Árd Fheis this weekend.

Teachta Deputy Ó Broin said:

“As Fianna Fáil members met this weekend, the housing crisis was deepening. Rents and house prices are at historic levels and still rising. Homelessness is at levels once thought unimaginable. Home ownership continues to decline. And the government’s social and affordable housing targets, too low to begin with, have been missed for the fourth year in a row.

“Despite all of this, not a single new policy to deal with the deepening housing and homeless crisis was announced at this weekend’s Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis.

“No new measures to prevent more people becoming homeless. No new measures to deliver genuinely affordable homes. No change to wholly inadequate social and affordable housing targets. No new measure to protect renters from rip-off rents.

“What all of this shows is that as long as this government remains in office, the housing and homeless crisis will continue to get worse.

“Fine Gael have now been in office for 12 years. Fianna Fáil have been propping them up for more than seven years. During all of that time, the crisis has gone from bad to worse.

“Only a general election, a change of government, and a new housing plan can start to undo the damage of decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy.”