‘Fine Gael must heed anger at homeless crisis,’ says MEP

The public is “angry” at Fine Gael over the failure to deal with the housing issue and the party must heed that anger, said MEP Mairead McGuinness.

Her party, she said, must listen to criticisms around its failings on housing and its ‘posh boy’ image or risk a backlash.

Reacting to the lead story in this newspaper yesterday, Ms McGuinness, who represents the constituency of Midlands/North-West, accepted the party is vulnerable electorally due to a failure to contain and deal with the housing crisis.

It was reported that several Cabinet colleagues are “angry” with Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy’s inability to turn the situation around, with some saying it is the greatest threat to the party’s chances of retaining power.

Speaking yesterday, Ms McGuinness said: “I think we should heed what has been written [in the Irish Examiner]. I have this view myself around housing. The public are angry and we should listen to that anger.

Reflecting on past elections, we did badly on the water issue and that was a difficult election.

“If it is that these [comments are being made], then we should respond.”

Dublin North West TD Noel Rock said the housing portfolio is a really difficult portfolio but Mr Murphy’s ‘posh boy’ image should not be held against him.

“Some people say he is doing well against a difficult backdrop, others will say he is not doing well against a difficult backdrop. Nevertheless, it shouldn’t be his background held against him but the key performance metrics and the results held against him,” he said.

Ex-tánaiste Joan Burton said Fine Gael TDs lack the nearness to realise how badly needed social and affordable housing really is.

That is a huge problem and people are genuinely upset at the number of children who are now classified as homeless,” she said.

Some Fine Gael ministers are eager to have an election before Christmas but worry the lack of progress on housing will hurt them. One colleague said Mr Murphy’s name kept coming up in a negative context.

Fine Gael has a firm lead in the polls over Fianna Fáil and many think it’s the time for an election. Fears over how they’ll be judged on housing and health are nagging at the minds of ministers ahead of the new Dáil term.

Mr Murphy has defended himself saying he is more than up to the job and recent CSO figures show real progress in dealing with the fundamental issue of supply.