LIMERICK TD Conor Sheehan has called for a Dáil debate on housing measures for single people.
Deputy Sheehan said that “no one is immune from the impact and tremors of the housing crisis”, hitting out that “throughout the lifetime of the failed Housing for All project, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have decided to consign single people to the scrap heap”.
The Deputy was responding to analysis carried out by the Irish Independent showing the lack of affordable housing for single people.
“Single income households are growing and deserve affordable housing. More than 400,000 people in Ireland live alone, yet every time the government talk about housing it’s based on joint incomes. Government continues to set housing policy that is based on the assumption that people should aspire to couple up,” Deputy Sheehan said.
“Analysis paints a stark image of single people earning decent salaries who are unable to own a home of their own. It’s nothing short of sad and disgraceful that a person earning €62,000 a year is unable to buy in our cities and commuter towns.
“This means that so many people, including our key workers, are locked out of the chance of owning a home of their own.
“No housing system, or indeed economy, should be trapping people into seeing marriage or relationships as economic leverage to buy a home.”
Deputy Sheehan said that “single people aren’t transient and single people aren’t just young. Being single isn’t just a stage of life that people should want to get out of.”
