Housing should be kept at local authority level

I agree with my long standing colleague Fergus Finlay that a new Government must have, as an absolute priority, the ending of homelessness and our housing crisis.

I disagree however, with every bone in my body, his suggestion that the way to do this is through a single agency.

Sadly the record will demonstrate that it was when housing responsibility was passed to the scandalously named and established Affordable Housing Partnership – now the Housing Agency – and away from Local Government that the problem mushroomed and grew.

Give city and county Councils back the power and money that was removed from us and we can deliver in the years ahead as we did in years gone by.

For that though the “national” Departments and agencies would have to admit that they have failed…something seldom done.

Councillor Dermot Lacey

Beech Hill Drive,

Donnybrook, Dublin 4