The Sinn Féin group on Waterford City and County Council has sharply criticised the failure by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to make any attempt to address the housing crisis in Budget 2024.
Sinn Féin group leader Conor D. McGuinness said:
“It is shocking that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael opted to ignore the housing crisis in their Budget this week. This is the fourth budget prepared by the coalition and the housing crisis remains their biggest failure.
“It contains no increase in capital spending and no new targets for the delivery of housing. Budget 2024 demonstrates a shocking lack of interest or urgency in tackling the housing crisis.
“This crisis has been causing deep harm to families, individuals, communities and wider society for over 15 years. Leo Varadkar declared a housing emergency over five years ago. He recently said that his own Government’s underwhelming housing delivery targets need to be revised upwards.
“It beggars belief then Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have opted not to provide for additional capital spending or to increase housing delivery targets across affordable, cost rental and social. Additional delivery in these categories will lower overall house prices and lessen the demands on private rental.
Sinn Féin Councillor Joeanne Bailey said:
“The Budget announcement is all the more disappointing when you consider that the coalition had access to unprecedented exchequer revenues with which to make a decisive intervention. Instead of action this government has squandered the opportunity to fix the housing crisis. The longer they are in government the worse the housing crisis gets.There are no excuses for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael this time.
“This should have been the housing budget. This should have been the budget that used the resources that we have to fix the problems we face. They should have increased targets to deliver social and affordable housing.
“In our fully-costed alternative budget Sinn Féin made provision for an additional €1.74 billion in capital spending and to deliver 21,000 social and affordable homes – some 7,300 more than the government’s target. The possibilities are there but unfortunately this coalition lacks the vision and the political will to get to grips with this crisis.”
Conor D. McGuinness TD 