DUBLIN: Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has condemned the government’s housing schemes, calling them a “global fraud.” She criticised the projects, likening them to bursting bubbles, and highlighted a significant discrepancy between announced targets and actual completions.
“There is nothing going on in the housing sector except empty declarations. It was announced that 100,000 houses would be provided this year, but only eight houses have been completed so far,” McDonald alleged.
Empty Promises and Delays
McDonald pointed out that while the Affordable Housing Fund scheme promised 6,200 houses for rent or purchase over three years, not a single house was delivered last year, despite a budget allocation of 310 million euros for properties on local authority land.
“This is a blow to the face of every person who dreams of owning a house. The Prime Minister should clarify whether he agrees that this project is a complete failure. They need to explain why the housing scheme was limited to just eight houses.”
McDonald accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of recycling failed housing schemes. She claimed the Housing for All plan was designed to benefit big developers, landlords, and vested interest investors rather than addressing the real housing needs.
“You will be ahead in figures, numbers, and goals, but there will be no results. This is the reality. A significant percentage of people are struggling to pay rent of up to 2,000 euros a month. I don’t know how someone paying that much rent can make a deposit to buy a house.”
Government’s Response
The Prime Minister cited the COVID-19 crisis and continuous lockdowns as factors that have negatively impacted the construction industry and, consequently, the government’s housing projects. He acknowledged the delays and explained that the government is not yet in a position to complete the promised projects. However, he revealed that the first affordable homes would be provided in Cork this year, and the scheme would be expanded in collaboration with local authorities.
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