Housing plan ‘certainly not a disaster’, O’Brien says

The Government’s approach to housing provision is not a disaster, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has said, days after stinging criticism to the contrary from President Michael D Higgins.

On Tuesday, the President described the housing issue as “our great, great, great failure,” and one that could no longer be considered a crisis but “a disaster”.

Asked about those comments on Friday, Mr O’Brien said the Government’s unprecedented approach framed in the Housing for All strategy “is certainly not a disaster, nor anything like it”.

The Minister said he would not be drawn into criticising or debating with Mr Higgins who, he said, was above politics, but he quickly set out a staunch defence of Government policy.

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“I do want to be very clear that certainly our Housing for All plan, which is only nine months old and which is taking effect right now, is certainly not a disaster, nor anything like it,” he told Newstalk Radio.

“It’s the most comprehensive housing plans that any Government has actually brought forward.”

Mr O’Brien pointed out that €4 billion is now being invested in social affordable housing annually, compared with the equivalent figure of €400 million in 2015.

“We are seeing this year, and I agree with the President on this, he wants the State to be involved in a major way in delivering social housing. This year we intend to build more new social homes ... than has been done in any other year in the history of the State,” he said.

“The President to be fair to him has a longstanding interest in social justice as I do, in housing, as I certainly do. But I am more positive about the policies that we are pursuing because they are taking root.”

Mr O’Brien said there were very serious challenges in the area of housing shortages but denied it was a disaster.