Congress General Secretary Patricia King has urged the Government to implement a Dail motion on housing, which was passed 12 months ago, and offered solutions to the country's grave housing crisis. She said over 10,000 people, many of them children, are living in emergency accommodation and she called on the State to intervene to provide social housing rapidly, 'there must be a major local authority led public housing programme building 10,000 new homes annually to provide affordable tenure to all who want it and those on lower incomes".
Over 50 trade unions, political parties, housing agencies, student unions, women's organisations, Traveller groups, children's rights organisations and housing experts joined forces outside Leinster House to demand that the Government enacts a motion on housing overwhelming passed by the Dáil 12 months, but which has never been implemented.
Over 50 trade unions, political parties, housing agencies, student unions, women's organisations, Traveller groups, children's rights organisations and housing experts have joined forces to demand that the Government enacts a motion on housing overwhelming passed by the Dáil 12 months, but which has never been implemented.
The joint call – made under the banner of Raise the Roof – relates to an opposition party motion on housing passed in October 2018 and supported by a majority of TDs and political parties. Only Fine Gael voted against.
The motion called for a series of key measures to tackle the ongoing housing crisis, including: Ensure affordable rents and security of tenure; Double investment in construction of public housing; End evictions into homelessness; Create a legal Right to Housing; Declare a Housing Emergency.
Raise the Roof also supports the delivery of culturally appropriate Traveller accommodation, as part of the overall resolution of the crisis.
Speaking on behalf of Raise the Roof, John Douglas of Mandate Trade Union said:
"One year ago we supported a motion that offered clear solutions to the housing crisis. That motion commanded a clear majority in the Dail and across wider civil society. Yet 12 months on, not one of the measures have been implemented as the Government continues to ignore the express will of the Dáil and of a huge range of civil society representative groups.
'similar motions have also been passed by Dublin's four local authorities, along with Galway, Cork and Waterford City Councils.
'this denial of democracy cannot continue. Official policy has failed and has priced a generation of young workers out of the housing market, forced thousands into insecure and costly accommodation in the rental sector and created record levels of homelessness.
"Implement the 2018 motion now," Mr Douglas said.
He said the call was supported by over 50 major national groups and housing experts, including:
Trade Unions and Student Unions: Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU); Union of Students in Ireland (USI); Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU); Mandate Trade Union; Forsa Trade Union; Communications Workers Union (CWU); Unite the Union; Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO); Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI); Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI); Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO); Financial Services Union (FSU); Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT); National Union of Journalist (NUJ); Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS); Energy Services Union (ESU); Building and Allied Trades' Union (BATU); Prison Officers Association (POA); Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland (OPATSI); Guinness Staff Union (GSU); Connect Trade Union; One Cork Movement, One Galway Movement, Dublin Council of Trade Unions, Waterford Council of Trade Unions, Kildare Trades Council.
Homeless & Housing Agencies: Focus Ireland, Simon Community, Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH), Threshold, Fr. Peter McVerry, National Homeless &Housing Coalition, Mercy Law Resource Centre, North Dublin Bay Housing Crisis Committee.
Political Parties & Senators: Sinn Fein, People Before Profit/ Solidarity, The Labour Party, Social Democrats, The Green Party, Independents4Change, The Workers Party, Sen. Frances Black, Sen. Colette Kelleher, Sen. Lynn Ruane, Sen Alice Mary Higgins.
Civil Society: National Women's Council of Ireland, Age Action, Children's Rights Alliance, Irish Traveller Movement, Home for Good, Inner City Organisations Network (ICON).
Academics & Housing Experts: Dr Rory Hearne, Maynooth University; Michael Taft, (SIPTU); Mel Reynolds (Architect); Dr Lorcan Sirr, TU Dublin; Dr Cian O Callaghan, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Mary Murphy, Maynooth University; Dr Sinead Kelly, Maynooth University; Dr Declan Redmond, UCD; Prof Rob Kitchin, Maynooth University; Dr Michael Byrne, UCD.
Representatives from these groups will gather outside Leinster House (Kildare Street) from 12.30 - 1.30pm on Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019.
For more information contact: Macdara Doyle (087 9174171)
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