Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Bay North Denise Mitchell has called on the Minister for Housing to provide housing solutions that offer real affordability to the people of Dublin Bay North and further afield.

Teachta Mitchell said:

“Public land is a public asset. Public homes should be built on public lands but at prices that are affordable to the public. It is not a difficult idea to understand.

“Local councils in the past built most of Dublin’s houses and we need to get back to that. Sinn Féin believes in a model of delivering affordable housing for families.

“We will not stand back and allow the Government sell off our public land to the highest bidder to build homes that no one can afford.

“My constituency of Dublin Bay North needs affordable housing. Families are desperate and the Government is making it worse week by week.

“The Department of Housing and Minister O’Brien need to cop on and wake up. Councillors from all parties and none have now put forward a new proposal for the Oscar Traynor Road site that has the support of the local people and will deliver affordable and cost rental houses for people in the area.

“The ESRI believes that the shared equity scheme in the Affordable Housing Bill will increase house prices and the Department Public Expenditure and Reform shares that belief.

“This housing crisis is not helping anyone and is making people desperate. The government’s policies are failing these people. We need a step change.

“The Minister still has not even told us what he believes the cost of an affordable home should be, which in itself speaks volumes.

“Real affordability is required for the people of Dublin Bay North and the Minister has to step up his efforts to deliver on that.”