Joe Behan - Independent Councillor - Wicklow County Council


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Housing Emergency Continues

Archive Statements > 2016

Housing Emergency Continues while Dáil Relaxes
22nd April 2016


I am shocked to learn that the response by the new Dáil to the ongoing housing emergency is a sum total of nothing.

The latest farce to emerge from the underworked national elected representatives is to set up yet another talking shop - a Dáil Committee to hear from experts and talk among themselves about the lack of housing for the next three months and then to produce yet another report to talk about...but no actual action to resolve the continuing crisis for hundreds of thousands of people throughout this country.

It is interesting but also depressing to note that the most contentious item on the agenda of the first meeting of this new housing committee was the power struggle between the political parties, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin over which of them would get the top job as Chair of the committee. This is unbelievable and insulting to the women, men and children in this and every other county in the country who haven't a roof over their heads and have no prospect of getting one anytime soon.

The latest figure for the number of families on the Housing List in County Wicklow is approximately 4,000 and at present the Government allocation for social housing for the next 4 years is about 350 units. The only way that this enormous gap will be bridged is for the Government to begin a massive house building programme all over this country to provide social housing for the many many people on social housing waiting lists. We also urgently need new private house building to recommence to provide low cost sustainable housing for those who will not qualify for social housing.

We don't need another committee to tell us what the problem is - we need action to increase the supply of housing and we need it now.

Cllr. Joe Behan
Independent



Serving the people of County Wicklow since 1985 | joebehan@outlook.ie

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