South Tipperary TD Seamus Healy is putting forward a Dáil motion today with a list of Housing Emergency Measures. The Independent TD says “If we are to address the homelessness and housing crisis, the government and the new Dáil must eclare a housing emergency immediately and commence an emergency county council house building programme of social and affordable homes.”
In addition the TD wants legislation for real security of tenure, real rent control and affordable rents with low-income workers able to secure mortgages.
There are now 15,286 homeless people, including 4,603 children, in emergency accommodation. The Dáil motion also notes that house prices and rents are at record highs while The number of second-hand houses available to buy at 9,300 is at the lowest recorded since January 2007. 143,824 households are on social housing waiting lists, Housing Assistance Payments and Rent Supplements Payments of €3.3 billion were made between 2019 and 2025 to private landlords.
The TD proposes that the government seek to Declare an Emergency for at least five years – and create a housing infrastructure investment fund/bond to unlock the €160 billion in Irish household savings to invest in social, affordable and cost rental housing. The TD also proposes a number of reforms as regards land prices, redress schemes, vacancy and a ban on the institutional purchase of houses and apartments other than by Councils and Approved Housing Bodies.
