Varadkar agrees with President on housing crisis saying it is a 'disaster for a lot of people'

However, Leo Varadkar rejected any suggestion that the crisis is purely a disaster of Fine Gael’s making

President Michael D Higgins with John Craddock, Chair Homeless Care in Naas, Co. Kildare on Tuesday. While there is no strict constitutional rule that prohibits the President from commenting on issues, it is the usual expectation that he or she should avoid coming into direct conflict with the Government. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Leo Varadkar has agreed with scathing comments made by President Michael D Higgin about the housing crisis, but has strongly denied Fine Gael is solely to blame.

In remarks made during a visit to a facility for homeless youth in Kildare yesterday, the President made an impassioned speech where he said the outlook was “getting darker” and there had been an increase in homelessness among young people.

“It’s a real challenge, I have taken to speaking ever more frankly in relation to housing because I think it is our great, great, great failure,” he said.

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While there is no strict constitutional rule that prohibits the President from commenting on issues, it is the usual expectation that he or she should avoid coming into direct conflict with the Government.

Asked about the remarks, Mr Varadkar admitted that the housing crisis is a "disaster for a lot of people" and said many couples with "decent jobs" are now unable to afford a home.

He said:

I think some of what he said was true quite frankly.

However, he rejected any suggestion that the crisis is purely a disaster of Fine Gael’s making.

“I don’t think we’re responsible for the construction bubble and the housing crash and all those things.

“Part of the reason we have the housing crisis we have is because 12 years ago we had a housing bubble, a banking collapse and a construction collapse – I certainly wasn’t responsible for that," he told Newstalk radio.

The Tánaiste instead said the housing emergency is a “failing of successive governments”, including "the Labour Party, with left-wing independents and now with Fianna Fáil.” 

He added: “If you look north of the border where Sinn Féin has been in power for the best part of 20 years - homelessness and rents are going up, you know, a lot of the same problems.

"So, I think it is a criticism of all of us and I accept that criticism but I’m more interested in solving the problem and taking responsibility for solving the problem."

'Noble and honourable'

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald described the President's intervention as "noble and honourable" and hit out at some in the Government who have moved to criticise the remarks.

"I think the President very honourably and very strongly has reflected the reality of people's lives. The president is the first citizen and I think the President speaking on behalf of people who are now really suffering and really struggling is a very noble and a very honourable thing.

"I think it was very, very well received by regular people who know what's happening in the real world and the political reaction to it, I think is very, very troubling."

Ms McDonald said the Government has not been listening to the public on the issue of housing, adding: "It's kind of extraordinary also, that our first citizen, Uachtarán na hÉireann, can come out and very, very honourably, I believe, state the case for the Irish people and state the blindingly obvious that we are now not just in a crisis, but we are in a housing disaster and somehow he gets criticised for that."