Politicians call on 'angry and frustrated' public to join protest at Government's 'failure on housing'

From left, Paul Murphy of People Before Profit-Solidarity, Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne, Labour TD Marie Sherlock and Sinn Féin's Eoin Ó Broin, at the launch of the Raise the Roof campaign at Leinster House.

The public is being urged by opposition parties to take to the streets to protest the "do-nothing" Government's failure on housing.

TDs from four Opposition parties called on those who feel frustrated and abandoned by the Government to join them in a protest outside the Dáil on June 17 as part of the Raise the Roof initiative.

"We want the largest number of people who are angry and frustrated in the first instance with the Government's failures on housing but also any other issue that this Government is failing on and the list is very long," said Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin.

With the housing crisis deepening, Mr Ó Broin said the public must come together to demand action from the Government "just as we have done in the past with the likes of Right2Water".

The housing minister is set to discuss proposed changes to rent pressure zones with party leaders and Mr Ó Broin said any move that would increase the rent burden on tenants would be opposed "tooth and nail" by the opposition and the public.

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy said people were paying extraordinary amounts in rent, leaving them with nothing at the end of the month.

The Government, which is "for landlords, by landlords", is seeking to double down on a strategy that has been failing people for over a decade, he said.

"The strategy of the Government is to allow the crisis to get even worse, to allow rents to rise even further, even faster, all in the hope of 'oh this will attract in the private sector investment that will finally resolve this crisis'," said Mr Murphy.

Those being hit by unaffordable rents and house prices as well as those who are living in emergency accommodation cannot afford to wait until the next general election for something to change, he said.

"If we continue the way we are going, by the time of our next general election we will have well over 20,000 people in emergency accommodation in this country, rents will have risen by another 40% or so, and house prices will be so out of reach for ordinary people," said Mr Murphy.

Sinn Féin, Labour, People Before Profit-Solidarity and the Social Democrats will put down a joint motion on the housing crisis on the day of the protest.

Labour's Marie Sherlock said there was a collective responsibility on the part of the opposition to ensure housing remains firmly on the political agenda. She accused the Government of "constant deflection" from its own failures.

It is time to get serious in terms of the "absolute dereliction" and the land banks that are lying undeveloped, she said.

"We know that the vacant homes tax and derelict site levy are not worth the paper they are written on because the Government effectively set them up to fail, they expect to make so little money from them," said Ms Sherlock.

When asked whether Ireland should consider imposing fines on developers if they are not building houses quickly enough, Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne said while developers need to be held accountable, ultimately it comes back to the State.

"They seem completely obsessed with the private market, with institutional investor funds and unable to find a way out of this disaster," said Mr Hearne.