Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein in war of words over housing targets
The Fianna Fáil minister questioned Sinn Féin’s proposals to end the Help to Buy scheme. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire
Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have launched barbs at one another’s housing policy, as the two parties continue to suggest they will solve the housing crisis.
In an exchange of letters between Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin, the two trade accusations over housing policy in a bitter row.
Mr O’Brien lashed out at Sinn Féin over their proposals for leasehold properties – where individuals would own the property but not the land – saying that Mr Ó Broin had made “factually incorrect statements” about whether or not banks would lend to buyers.
The Minister said that the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) have not confirmed whether or not to lend under Sinn Féin’s proposed scheme.
Shooting back, Mr Ó Broin said that Fianna Fáil could not be trusted on housing, highlighting that the party have “presided over an ever-deepening housing and homelessness crisis”.
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Mr Ó Broin added that houses and rents have reached “record highs”, while the number of adults and children in homelessness are at levels “never imagined possible”.
The Fianna Fáil minister questioned Sinn Féin’s proposals to end the Help to Buy scheme, First Homes scheme and vacant property grants, saying that first time buyers would be “€100,000 worse off” under the party.
“I believe it is incumbent on you to clarify your factually incorrect statements and to be honest with people about the Sinn Féin plan,” Mr O’Brien wrote.
In response, Mr Ó Broin said that Fianna Fáil had published a manifesto with just seven pages “of vague housing promises”, while describing the launch as “embarrassing”.
“The only thing that is clear from your manifesto is that by extending the so-called help to buy scheme to second hand properties you are going to further drive up the price of second hand homes, at a time when they are already experiencing double digit inflation,” Ó Broin added.
The Sinn Féin TD said that his party had set out their plans to address the housing crisis which Mr O’Brien had “made immeasurably worse since 2020”.
“I would respectfully suggest that rather than wasting your staffs time sending me these inane letters, you should focus on your job and try and undo some of the damage that you have caused to our housing system since becoming Minister,” Ó Broin concluded.
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