Labour Party candidate for Galway West, Councillor Helen Ogbu, has revealed her party’s manifesto for Housing, pledging construction of 50,000 homes annually.
The Labour Party has promised stronger protections for renters, and comprehensive reforms of vacancy and dereliction rules.
Ogbu says this is a radical departure from the “failed model tied to the private sector that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have desperately clung to”.
“The housing crisis has taken a devastating toll on individuals, families, and communities across Ireland, and the time for a new direction is now. Labour’s plan offers real solutions for those struggling with high rents, those unable to afford a home, and those living in emergency accommodations,” she said.
“The party’s commitment to building 50,000 homes annually will directly tackle the severe shortage of housing and restore hope to people in Galway West and beyond.”
The Labour housing policy focuses on State-led development: Establishing a State Construction Company to ensure housing delivery, ending reliance on private sector cycles and providing housing market stability.
Labour wants a national survey of vacant properties, enabling local authorities to take over properties left empty for more than three years, and repurposing publicly owned properties for essential worker housing.
For tenants, Labour advocates a rent and eviction freeze, a Register of Rents, a rent-to-buy scheme, and tighter restrictions on evictions to secure fairness and stability in the rental market.
“Galway deserves a housing system that works for all residents,” Cllr Ogbu added. “Labour’s plan promises exactly that - a system built on security, affordability, and community renewal. This election, I’m calling on Galway West voters to join me in voting Labour No 1 to make this vision a reality.”
