Healy accuses Government of pandering to landlords

A Tipperary TD has accused the government of treating housing like a commodity.

Deputy Seamus Healy took the Housing Minister to task in the Dáil on the homelessness and housing crisis

With the numbers on the local authority housing list stretching Tipperary County Council resources to the limit the Clonmel TD feels declaring a national housing emergency would be a step in the right direction.

He raised the issue with Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy in the Dáil last evening.

In reply Minister Murphy said the government is targeting the building of social housing as a matter of urgency.

He pointed out that €2.4 billion was being spent on housing this year – the most ever by an Irish government.

However he said there was no advantage in declaring a national housing emergency.