Ó Broin criticises Taoiseach “gaslighting” over housing

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has criticised comments by the Taoiseach, which blamed councils for holding up housing delivery.

Last week, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “we are running out of patience” with councils and local authorities for blocking housing developments, and per Ó Broin, he said it was a “master class in shifting the blame for government failures”.

The Dublin Mid-West TD categorised the Taoiseach’s comments as “bizarre,” saying the Taoiseach was shifting blame away from the government.

Indeed, it was Martin who negotiated Fianna Fáil’s confidence and supply pact with Fine Gael following the 2016 general election and Fianna Fáil held the Minister for Housing brief since the 2020 general election, meaning that Martin is, in essence, blaming his own government policies for the housing shortages.

Ó’Broin noted that the government sets the population growth estimates in the National Planning Framework, along with housing delivery targets for both the public and private sector and funding limits for local authorities to deliver social and affordable homes.

“Crucially, the government, through the Planning Regulator and Minister for Housing, have extensive powers to amend city and county development plans where they believe they do not align with the National Planning Framework,” he pointed out.

“The government has consistently underestimated both population growth and in turn, housing targets, in both the 2019 and 2025 National Planning Framework.  Both plans were based on outdated census figures.  In turn, the government has consistently underestimated the real need for social and affordable housing, in turn setting targets that are too low and underfunding councils.

Per Ó’Broin, the Department of Housing, which Fianna Fáil has controlled since 2020, has forced councils across Ireland to de-zone land 25 times over the last three years.

“The idea that councils are to blame for the housing crisis is both wrong and deeply offensive to councillors and officials across the state,” he said.

“This is gaslighting of the very worst kind from Michael Martin and threatens to further undermine the already strained relationship between local and central government.”

Ó’Broin called on the government to “accept responsibility for its own failures.”

“They must increase overall housing targets to an annual average of 60,00 a year, reviewed annually.  They must increase the targets for social and affordable housing to an annual average of 25,000 a year.  And they must increase the funding to Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies while slashing red tape imposed, to dramatically increase and accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes,” he said.

“Failure to do this will prove, once again, that Micheál Martin and his government colleagues are not serious about tackling the housing and homelessness crisis that they created.”