Criticism in Waterford over Government's 'housing failure'
Sadhbh O'Neill has criticised the Government over it's failure to address the housing crisis
The Labour Party's General Election candidate in Waterford, Sadhbh O’Neill, has slammed the Government for what she said is a "housing failure" as house prices soar across County Waterford.
With prices rising by as much as 8.1 per cent across the south east Ms O'Neill said it was indicative of the Government's failure to address the ongoing housing crisis.
Her criticism came in the wake of figures released from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) that showed the annual house price growth had reached 10 per cent, with an 8.1 per cent rise in the South East region.
Commenting on the matter to Waterford News & Star, Ms O'Neill said: "The latest figures from the CSO are a damning indictment of this Government’s complete inability to solve the housing crisis."
Commenting that the Government has "thrown in the towel", she said: "More than 14,486 people are in emergency accommodation, and tragically, over 4,419 of those are children. This is an unacceptable situation for any society, let alone one as wealthy as ours."
“When I’m out knocking on doors in Waterford, all I hear about is housing, housing, and affordable housing," she said.
"People are crying out for action, but instead, more than three years after the introduction of the much-hyped, 'Housing for All' plan, the situation has only worsened; homelessness is up, evictions are increasing, and house prices continuing to skyrocket."
She said young people and families are locked out of the housing market entirely, with prices now completely out of reach for most first-time buyers.
"The average house price for all buyer types in Waterford is now €290,000, a sum which is beyond the reach of low-income households," she said.
"Labour has consistently called for greater state involvement in housing delivery," she added, before going on to comment: "The Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party Government’s approach has been based on wishful thinking and market-based solutions that have done nothing to help those in desperate need of housing."
She said "report after report" had been compiled to show various policies on housing had failed and renters were not protected.
“Labour’s housing plan presents a clear and comprehensive alternative," she said.
"The party is proposing an additional €1.45 billion in capital investment to deliver affordable and cost-rental housing at a scale that meets demand," said Ms O'Neill.
"We in Labour know what needs to be done [and] we will end speculative land hoarding, protect renters, and double the state’s delivery of cost-rental and affordable homes," she added.
"With an additional €1.45 billion in capital for housing, we will ensure every person has access to a safe, secure, and affordable home.”
