Heated exchanges in Dáil as Sinn Féin and Micheál Martin clash over affordable homes
Sinn Fein's finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty called it 'bonkers' that one-bedroom homes at development on Oscar Traynor Road could be sold for as much as €309,000
There were familiar scenes in the Dáil on Thursday as a row broke out between Sinn Féin TDs and the Tánaiste.
The Ceann Comhairle threatened to suspend the sitting, asking the TDs to bring an end to their "strategic heckling" and calling it a charade.
The heated exchanges began when Pearse Doherty raised the issue of the affordable homes on Oscar Traynor Road.
He called it "bonkers" that one-bedroom homes at the development could be sold for as much as €309,000 and pointed to Ó Cualann in Ballymun, where three-bedroom homes are available from €264,000 to €295,000 as an example that affordable homes are possible.
Micheál Martin said the advertised prices on the first phase of the scheme were €100,000 lower than the current market price because of Government schemes introduced to support providers.
Mr Martin blamed "ideologically-driven policies by Sinn Féin" and serial objectors for the site lying vacant for 10 years before it was sold to a developer in 2020.
As a verbal back-and-forth ensued, Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin told Mr Martin he was embarrassing himself, before the Sinn Féin TD was told by the Ceann Comhairle he was letting himself down.
After being reprimanded by Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Mr Doherty doubled down on an accusation the Tánaiste was deliberately misleading the House. "He suggested that these houses will be sold for €270,000. It is a bloody plain lie," Mr Doherty said.
Proceedings moved on after Mr Ó Fearghaíl threatened to suspend the Dáil.
Later in Leader's Questions, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of being obsessed with privatising "everything that moves".
He was referring to revelations earlier in the week that two flagship RTÉ programmes, and , may be outsourced to independent production companies.
The news came as RTÉ published its five-year plan, which will also involve the loss of about 400 jobs. Mr Martin responded Mr Boyd Barrett was "like Don Quixote, tilting at windmills".
He said: "There is no privatisation. RTÉ is not going to be sold. It is not on the market."
Pointing to the controversy over presenter salaries which came to light last summer, Mr Boyd Barrett said it was now the ordinary workers who were paying the price as they would be forced into an independent private sector characterised by the gig economy.
He warned job losses would not stop at 400 as there were ancillary workers working at the broadcaster whose jobs could be under threat as well. Mr Boyd Barrett called on the Government to fund public service broadcasting by taxing "the obscene profits" of social media companies.
The Tánaiste dismissed the idea, saying the approach would endanger thousands of jobs and reduce foreign direct investment in Ireland to zero.
Mr Martin said in the future the Government should support public service content through a variety of schemes covering print, local radio and national stations, where there is genuine public service content.
"There is potential to do the right thing and to sustain employment," he said.
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