Limerick Cathaoirleach Collins hits back at Maria Byrne and FG on housing

FIANNA Fail councillor James Collins has hit back at Maria Byrne, who lashed out at his party last week over “enflaming” the housing crisis debate.

The Limerick Senator said “facts and Fianna Fail” don’t naturally go hand-in-hand, and pointed out the work her own Fine Gael party had done to tackle the situation.

But Cllr Collins, who is the metropolitan district chair and a general election candidate, said: “You are entitled to your own opinion Maria, but not your own facts”.

“Government policy is making the homelessness crisis worse, the housing crisis worse and the rental crisis worse. There are 10,253 people homeless in Ireland. Fine Gael has been in power now for eight years. When they entered government, there were 3,808 people homeless. So over the course of the last two Fine Gael led governments, an extra 6,445 people have become homeless, an increase of 169%. More than a third of these are children.”

Cllr Collins acknowledged housing supply had increased, but added it was still “woefully behind demand”.

”Six out of every 10 houses completed last year were in the Greater Dublin Area, where house prices have rocketed so much they now average nine times a person’s salary. When you consider the Central Bank will only allow buyers take out a mortgage three-and-a-half times their salary, it’s obvious Fine Gael’s housing policy is not working,” he added.

The former mayor believes Fine Gael “actively encouraged the next generation to give up all hope of ever owning their own home, and instead brought to them the idea of apartment living”.

“They have done this by encouraging build-to-rent apartment blocks where developers get fast-track planning, build the apartments then sell then en-bloc to cuckoo funds – so called because they push first time buyers out the market,” he said.

In her opinion-editorial, Ms Byrne highlighted the fact all of Limerick City is now in a Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ), which means rates for tenants can only go up by a maximum of 4% per year.

That, Cllr Collins said is scant consultation, because landlords acted ahead of time knowing they would be restricted once the RPZ came in here.

”It’s all very well telling renters of Limerick you are now in an RPZ and your rent can only be increased by 4% per annum between now and 2021 when those same renters have already had to hand over an extra €103 a month from their take-home pay. The rent hikes are already locked in,” he said.

Cllr Collins added: “Fine Gael’s response to this is that our young people should engage in some kind of millennial co-living fantasy land, where you pay €1,500 per month for a fold-out bed in an apartment marginally bigger than a disabled parking space and share a kitchen, TV and bathroom with everyone else in the building.”

“Fine Gael’s spin cycle just doesn’t wash,” the City West member concluded.