Locked-out generation left behind by failed housing plan

Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD said in the Dáil today that the Government’s newly published housing plan offers no credible pathway to secure, affordable homes for ordinary people. Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, she said the plan contains no new measures on affordable ownership, no clarity on Land Development Agency powers, and no ambition on social housing. She called for an immediate shift to a realistic State-led approach to tackle the housing disaster affecting every generation and every community.

“Families are struggling in every county to find a secure, affordable place to live. Young workers are locked out of home ownership, parents are raising children in emergency accommodation, and older people are stuck in unsuitable housing because there is nowhere else to go. Yet this Government has chosen to publish a plan that offers nothing new, removes accountability, and leaves people waiting even longer for answers.

“This Government has abandoned annual housing targets. That is an admission of failure. When you scrap the measurements, you scrap the accountability. Removing annual targets strips away the basic tools needed to track progress under Housing for All and the statutory obligations set out under the Planning and Development Act. People can see exactly why this Government made that choice: the figures show their policies are not working.

“The Taoiseach’s reply in the Dáil today was disingenuous. It was a complete misrepresentation that tried to dismiss legitimate concerns and ignore the real-world impact of the failures built into this plan. Instead of acknowledging the scale of the crisis, he chose defensiveness. That offers nothing to the thousands of families living through the consequences of Government inaction.

“People will never forget that this Government normalised the eviction of children. More than five thousand children are without a home, yet the Government still claims that its policies are working. That is unacceptable. It is deeply damaging to communities and it undermines any claim that this Government is prioritising housing.

“Labour is calling for a credible, costed, State-led approach. We want large-scale public home building through a transformed Land Development Agency, real action on vacancy and dereliction, regulation of short-term lets, and stronger protections for renters, including an end to no-fault evictions. Families deserve better. The Government must act now.”