Labour city councillor Niall Mc Nelis is to chair a public meeting online next week with party Spokesperson on Housing Senator Rebecca Moynihan and Karina Timothy from Threshold. It is to take place on Monday June 14 at 7pm on facebook.com/nmcnelisgalway Citing the ESRI report published last month, Cllr Mc Nelis said this report should be a watershed moment for the Government and represents a clear, evidence-based argument to invest State money in housing for all.
Highlighting Labour’s housing plan, Cllr Mc Nelis outlined the need to create a €15 billion fund to build 80,000 state homes.
“The reliance on the private housing market has failed yet the government want to continue that policy of carrots for investors. The ESRI report is clear evidence that direct state involvement in the housing sector is needed. We need to stop trying to incentivise the cuckoos and start properly funding a state building programme through capital borrowing,” he said.
“We in the Labour Party have consistently called for State investment and intervention in the housing market to build affordable homes for people to rent or buy. This independent report by the ESRI backs up everything we have been saving over the five wasted years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil policies.
“If the Minister won’t listen to Labour, he might listen to the ESRI. We need to build 80,000 social and affordable, energy-efficient homes. We need to reimagine our next generation of high quality, energy efficient public housing. Across Europe, up to a third of people enjoy secure, affordable homes provided by cities and local authorities.
