10 March 2005 Edition

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Housing Minister should be sacked for incompetence

BY CAOILFHIONN Ní DHONNABHÁIN

Arthur Morgan

Arthur Morgan

The necessity for increased provision of social housing was a theme of many speakers during the housing section of this year's Ard Fheis. This comes as no surprise when you consider the fact that in the 26 Counties alone, there are 48,000 families on social housing waiting lists. The fact that housing is a key campaigning issue for Sinn Féin was evident from the wide array of housing issues covered in the clár including social housing, affordable housing, ground rents, house prices and the private rented sector.

The Housing section was kicked off by Sinn Féin's Six-County spokesperson on housing, Fra McCann, who told delegates that social housing in the North was a mess and that "if it keeps going the way it is at present, it may be years before we can effectively deal with the problem.

"Over 95% of all new housing is provided for the private market. With increasing prices, whole sections of communities are being priced out of having a home; many more are falling into debt through high mortgages and relatively low wages. The lack of social housing is forcing young people who may have previously been considered for a home in the social sector onto the property ladder, where they face many hidden dangers, not least overinflated prices of the houses available."

Sinn Féin's Dáil spokesperson on Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Arthur Morgan, then addressed the situation in the 26 Counties, which is characterised by many of the same problems as faced by people in the north. He said:

"The Fianna Fáil PD Government have stood over what is arguably the worst housing crisis this state has ever seen. It is characterised by colossal increases in house prices, lengthening social housing waiting lists, irresponsible planning and construction of sprawling housing estates in the counties surrounding Dublin, persistent high levels of homelessness and the failure of local authorities to implement Traveller accommodation programmes.

"Under their watch, since 1997, average house prices have escalated from an average €102,200 to €249,000 for new houses and €102,700 to €293,000 for secondhand houses. The numbers on housing waiting lists have increased by 77%.

The Minister for State with responsibility for housing, Noel Ahern, should be sacked for incompetence."

Arthur also put on record Sinn Féin's support for the recommendations in the NESC report 'Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy', for an increase of permanent social housing units, owned and managed by local authorities of approximately 73,000 units between 2005 and 2012.

This point was also echoed by Dublin Councillor Dessie Ellis in his contribution, where he also took the Minister of State with responsibility for housing to task, saying: "It is disgraceful that Noel Ahern, a TD for my own constituency of Dublin Northwest, remains oblivious and unmoved by the difficulties faced by those who cannot get the social housing which they are entitled to. His recent comments dismissing housing affordability problems illustrate how detached the Minister of State is from the reality faced by the majority of working class people."

Ellis also spoke passionately of the plight of young couples from his constituency who struggle to acquire housing, saying: "I see young couples from Finglas, Whitehall and Ballymun unable to access social housing or afford to buy housing in their own community. I see the community I represent being dispersed and driven further out to the commuter belt in Meath and elsewhere in search of housing as the price of houses continues to rise."

A number of speakers, including Councillor Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, spoke strongly in favour of motion 160 from the Keating Sands Cumann in Waterford, which called for the abolition of ground rents.

Other notable motions in the housing section included a motion from the James Connolly Cumann in Dublin on the issue of affordable housing and a motion from the Tom Smith cumann in Dublin denouncing the Dublin Government's inaction in relation to the statement by the Irish Property Owners' Association that it was the intention of landlords to pass on the cost of registering with the new Private Residential Tenancies Board. Both of these motions were passed by delegates.


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