Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that Simon Harris ‘offers nothing new on housing’.
The Dublin Mid-West TDs comments were made as the Fine Gael leader finally broke his two-week silence on housing during his Ard Fheis speech last night.
Teachta Ó Broin said:
“So, Simon Harris has finally broken his two week silence on housing. But what has he said?
“He has effectively trashed his own government’s housing plan targets while promising to continue with same the failing policies set out in that plan.
“His Ard Fheis speech offered nothing new in terms of tackling rising homelessness, rising rents or rising house prices. He had nothing to say about how he was going to tackle the affordability crisis.
“Increasing the renters tax credit without a ban on rent increases will simply mean that landlords will pocket the increase with rent hikes. The renter will be no better off.
“Extending the so-called Help to Buy scheme for five years will do nothing to increase supply or bring down the price of new homes.
“Extending the Development Levy waiver is just tinkering around the edges of a housing crisis that needs much more radical policies.
“What is needed, and what was absent from Simon Harris’s speech, is a dramatic increase in the delivery of genuinely affordable homes.
“The government’s targets for social and affordable housing are too low and they are not meeting those targets.
“We need at least double the number of social and affordable homes that the government’s plan promises.
“We need an emergency ban on rent increase for three years along with a full months rent back into every renters pocket.
“And we need to use emergency planning and procurement powers to deliver a dedicated stream of housing for those in emergency accommodation to ensure year on year reductions in homelessness.
“Soundbites from a wannabe Taoiseach will not fix the housing crisis created by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Only a general election, a change of government and a change of housing plan can do that.”
