by Alan Jacques
SINN Féin councillor Maurice Quinlivan has slammed Limerick government TDs for what he described as “their tolerance of the housing crisis”.
He claimed that local Fine Gael and Labour deputies either do nothing or prop-up a government which implements policies that make the situation even worse.
“The scandal of the housing crisis is perhaps the greatest indictment of this government. It is out of control with the supply of rental homes at an all-time low and we have seen an increase of 8.2 per cent in rents across the country since this time last year,” Cllr Quinlivan said.
“There are 5,000 people on the housing list in Limerick. There are children whose welfare, education and quality of life is being drastically undermined as a result of this crisis.”
He claims that rising rents in the private sector, coupled with a clear lack of a social housing strategy, means that more people are being pushed into homelessness.
Stating that social housing must be built, the City North councillor also wants an immediate increase in rent supplement and support from the Housing Assistance Programme (HAP).
He believes it is crucial that legislation is enacted to protect tenants in the private rental sector to ensure rent certainty and security of tenure.
“Government TDs in Limerick need to be honest and face up to the scale of the housing crisis. They have all played their part in this government’s failure to renew the state’s public housing stock. This is a failure that has driven thousands of people into a ruthless rental market in which profit is the only goal.”
However, Education Minister and Limerick Labour Party TD Jan O’Sullivan said that Cllr Quinlivan’s record of positive suggestions or ideas “reads like an empty page”.
Speaking to the Limerick Post this week, she asked why Cllr Quinlivan’s Sinn Fein colleague in Stormont with responsibility for housing and community has cut the budget, which has the direct effect of reducing the amount of houses now being built in the North?
“What the people of Limerick want is action such as the provision of top quality new houses similar to those in Cliona Park, Moyross, not populist rhetoric that offers no solution or hope to those in need of housing.
She added that those genuinely concerned about the housing challenge should channel their energies into suggesting positive measures that can contribute towards resolving the need for more houses as quickly as possible.
“Last Autumn, we set out a detailed social housing strategy for the next five years. In April the Government allocated €57m to Limerick which will see 753 social houses built. This is the biggest investment in social housing in Limerick in more than a decade and go hand-in-hand with the building and refurbishment work already under way through Regeneration,” she said.
Limerick Fine Gael TD Patrick O’Donovan said that the Government had a strong record on fixing the economy and they would also solve the housing issue.
“Already there has been progress made and money allocated, but we need local authorities to do their part too. When councillors look for property tax and other charges to be cut, it means there is less money for housing repairs and so some houses continue to be left void.
“Councils have incomes streams now that they never had, and they need to be responsible. We also need local authorities to act quicker in identifying potential sites for housing and to put planning in place,” he said.
