Political choices made by successive governments have resulted in the aspirations and dreams of an entire generation being either “diminished or destroyed”, the new leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns has said.
Speaking during her first Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil on Wednesday, Ms Cairns said nowhere was the political betrayal of young people more evident than in the “housing disaster”.
The Cork South West TD said she was a member of the “first ever generation who will be worse off than our parents” and that this “didn’t happen by accident”.
Ms Cairns said skyrocketing rents and exorbitant house prices have resulted in the collapse of home ownership rate, with Ireland now “at the bottom third of EU countries when it comes to home ownership”.
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“You told a recent meeting of your parliamentary party you were alarmed to see that figure, but Taoiseach, were you surprised because all of this happened on Fine Gael’s watch,” she said.
The Social Democrats leader said the housing disaster wasn’t just about “bricks and mortar”.
“It’s about young people whose adult lives are on hold because they can’t afford to move out of their childhood bedrooms,” she said.
“It’s about couples postponing having a family because they can’t find affordable housing. It’s about the stress and anxiety that causes once happy relationships to break down.
“It’s about a lack of hope. It’s about despair. It’s about fear for the future, that your life will be permanently on hold, that you could be served an eviction notice at any moment, that you will never be able to afford to do what your own parents did on just one income, own a modest home.”
Ms Cairns said the housing crisis was now a “social catastrophe” that was threatening the State’s economy as illustrated by a recent report from the Irish Business Network, Chambers Ireland.
“An economy cannot function where workers cannot afford to buy or rent a home and neither can a society,” she said.
“Fine Gael has been in Government for almost my entire adult life. Your party first promised to address what was a housing crisis in 2014; nine years later, it’s an unprecedented housing disaster.
“Promises have been broken, targets have not been met, and lives are being ruined as a result.”
Ms Cairns asked the Taoiseach when would people on average incomes be able to afford to buy or rent a home and “how much longer do we have to wait for the Government’s [housing] plan to work?”
In response, Mr Varadkar said he wished to take the opportunity to congratulate Ms Cairns on her election as leader of the Social Democrats.
“It is an enormous honour to be chosen by your party to lead them. It is a tough job and much of the work goes unrecognised, whether it’s fundraising, dealing with party accounts, disputes between public reps, internal rows, staff matters. It is all before you,” he said.
“It is a very tough job and a very big job and I honestly do wish you a fair wind in that regard.”
The Taoiseach said he was determined that this year the State should “turn the corner on the housing crisis”.
“I heard you say that you believe that you will be the first generation of young people in a long time that are worse off than their parents but I haven’t thrown in the towel on that,” he said.
Mr Varadkar also said he acknowledged that young people were being let down in relation to housing.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday Ms Cairns categorically ruled out a merger with the Labour Party in her first post-election speech.
Explaining her rationale, she said the Labour Party had “broken its trust with the Irish people.” She also said she was not interested in voting pacts.
Asked if she had any red lines for entering Government after the next election, Ms Cairns specifically mentioned housing and Sláintecare as major issues where policy changes were needed. However, she said the Soc Dems want to govern and would speak with other parties but would “drive a hard bargain.”
