Even I, as a socialist and somebody who critiques and challenges the market and the capitalist system, never thought I would be here, 11 years after first getting elected, and that the housing crisis would have been left to fester and become as rancid as it is. I want to ask about Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs. Where have they been? It has been like "The Silence of the Lambs" over the past 11 years as this has worsened. There are a few of them in here tonight. The only time I heard a peep out of any of them was when the investigation was taking place over the presidential election. Suddenly a couple of younger Fianna Fáil TDs started piping up that maybe the Government was not doing very well on the housing crisis. The reason I mention it is I represent Dublin West, which has been at the epicentre of the housing crisis for over a decade. There are 105 families who have told Fingal County Council they have eviction and termination notices. This is in Dublin 15 alone and not the entire constituency. One of the families on our list comprises a woman, her teenage sons and her husband. They had paid their rent for the house they were living in since 2009. The landlord wanted to sell and the council could not buy it because it did not have the money under the tenant in situ scheme. Every legal process was gone through. Phone calls were made to the sheriff. Ten male bailiffs came to the house when she was there alone in her pyjamas. They pushed her out of the house like a criminal. This woman has done nothing wrong. There was no emergency accommodation to be found by the DRHE or Fingal County Council. This family was literally on the streets and they are not the only ones. The Minister has been told about this for ages and absolutely nothing is happening. I do not know why Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs for Dublin West are not in here banging on about this but I presume they do not care. The other issue I want to raise is that we have a massive land bank up the road where we had been told that 7,000 homes could be built, and apparently now the figure is 20,000. It is a strategic land bank in Scribblestown, Dunsink. I have raised this five or six times since I got re-elected, as have our councillors on the council. I am pleased to hear it seems to have had some impact because it will be moved from the long-term strategy under section 28 of the NPF. This could solve the housing crisis in Dublin West. It needs to be moved on now. Fingal County Council needs to be given whatever money is needed to make it occupiable so we do not continue with this human misery we have had.

Sentiment score: -0.15