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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Housing accountability and blasphemy referendum

Summary

Deputy McDonald attacked the Government's housing record and argued for a stronger constitutional and policy response to housing. The Taoiseach defended constitutional caution, warned against assuming constitutional rights solve crises, and criticised Sinn Féin for lacking thought-out housing policies.

I will keep it in mind. Last night the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government survived a motion of no confidence as a result of the cowardice of Fianna Fáil. Despite that, the issue of demanding political accountability for housing and homelessness is not going away. We need a huge change of direction and policy that delivers secure, affordable housing for all our citizens. In the coming weeks, we will have a referendum on the issue of blasphemy. I am sure it is a very worthy issue but it is not the most pressing one we face. A more productive course of action would be to hold a referendum on the right to housing. That would give effect to the decision by 80% of the participants in the Constitutional Convention that such a right ought to be enshrined in the Constitution. It is not a novel idea. In fact, over 80 countries across the world already have the right to a home enshrined in their basic law and their Constitution. The Government could and should provide for the holding of a referendum to enshrine a citizen's right to a home and the right to housing in the Constitution and the Government should do it without delay. It could be done on the occasion of the local and European elections in May if not before that. Will the Taoiseach take that course of action? We heard - and I agree with the Taoiseach - that empathy on this issue is not the sole preserve of any party in this House or any individual. Let us have demonstrable evidence of the Government's empathy, understanding and compassion and let us have this referendum.

Comment on this
Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

If the Deputy has a specific proposal to make on the wording of the referendum, we would be happy to consider it but we always need to be very cautious about amending our Constitution. As the Deputy rightly points out, 83 countries have a legal right to housing and many of those countries have a homelessness crisis and people living in shanty towns. Putting something into the Constitution or law does not mean it will have any impact on people's lives. There is always the risk that if something is put into the Constitution it may be interpreted in a particular way by the courts. What if, for example, as in many of those 83 countries, it turned out to be a meaningless right? What if it turned out to be a basis on which somebody could sue the State and instead of spending money building houses we would spend that money compensating people for not having a house? That would not make sense either. When changing the Constitution, one needs to know exactly what the wording is, what it means and what the implications are.

Comment on this

The convention considered all of those matters.

Comment on this
Leo Varadkar The Taoiseach Fine Gael

That is why it is important that on housing Sinn Féin should have thought-out policies, which it does not at the moment.

Comment on this