Dublin Housing Issue To Be Discussed

Speaking in advance of the Dublin Simon Community Speak Out Dublin City Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick highlighted Government lack of action to address the housing crisis.

The theme for the Dublin Simon Community Speak Out event this evening is 'Rent – Opening doors or closing doors' said Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick, Fianna Fail Group Leader for Dublin. "I have been working in my capacity as a Dublin City Councillor for 10 years and within this time I have raised the housing issue repeatedly. I have invited Minister of State with special responsibility for Housing and Planning Jan O'Sullivan to meet with local public representatives but she has refused my invitations to all. Now we have reached a situation where we have a major housing crisis and yet no strategy from the Government as to how we will deal with this situation."


Fianna Fail's European Election Candidate for Dublin, Cllr Fitzpatrick continued: "There are 20,000 people on the social housing list in Dublin. Thousands of people are sleeping rough on the streets, for a large percentage of those that are offered accommodation it is short-term in an emergency hostel, B&B or hotel. I am meeting people on a daily basis that are terrified that they could lose their home, due to rental rate increases, pushing them into temporary accommodation. This is an urgent situation that cannot be ignored any longer."

(CD/MH)