‘A matter for the voters’: War of words erupts between Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil over housing

A war of words has erupted between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin over both parties’ housing policies with the Opposition being accused of “undermining confidence” in the construction sector and “damaging housing output”.

In a series of letters sent between the two parties this week, Sinn Féin in turn accused the Government of presiding over a crisis “with enormous impacts on people, public services, and the wider economy.”

On Tuesday, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien wrote to Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty and housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin challenging them to produce a lengthier housing plan than has been put forward.

He said that under existing Sinn Féin policy, the Opposition would remove key existing supports for home buyers.

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This includes “abolishing the Help-to-Buy scheme which has thus far supported over 40,000 home buyers.”

Mr O’Brien also said the party wanted to scrap the new First Home Scheme “which in just over a year of existence has seen more than 2,700 approvals issued”.

“Our analysis of the commitments in the alternative [Sinn Féin] budget document show a worrying cut in €260M of direct home ownership supports. At the same time, the document confirms just €74M in additional home ownership supports. I also understand that the Sinn Féin position is to abolish the Land Development Agency [LDA] which is committed to investing just under €1bn in Housing in 2024.”

Mr O’Brien said recent commencement data from September shows a “strong uptick in commencements this year” with 23,923 homes commenced in the first nine months of 2023.

The Minister wrote that he was “deeply concerned that the key proposals put forward by your alternative budget undermines confidence in the residential construction sector and risks directly damaging housing output. It also casts a cloud of uncertainty over aspiring first time buyers.”

“Despite commitments to publish one, neither I, nor the Minister for Finance have received or had the opportunity to review an alternative housing plan from Sinn Féin.”

“However, as said, my assessment of the two and a half page alternative housing budget demonstrates a clear commitment to scrap key home ownership supports with scant detail as to what will replace them.”

In response, Mr Ó Broin wrote to the Minister on Wednesday.

[ Housing crisis: Sinn Féin is ‘anti-first-time buyers’, says Martin ]

In the letter, seen by The Irish Times, the Sinn Féin housing spokesman pointed out that the current Coalition Government has been in place since June 2020.

“During that time, the housing crisis has deepened with enormous impacts on people, public services, and the wider economy.”

He said that “house prices have increased 28 per cent, costing on average €70,000 more” while “rents have increased by 25 per cent costing on average €3700 more per year.”

“Homelessness, including child homelessness, has increased by 47 per cent.”

He said the Government, in the recent budget, introduced a landlord’s tax credit “that will do nothing to address the impact of the exit of single property landlords from the private rental sector.”

“Given that you and your Government’s record on housing has to date been so poor I am not surprised that in recent times you are spending more of your energy on misrepresenting and attacking Sinn Féin’s housing policy.”

He said the Help to Buy Scheme and the Shared Equity Loan scheme, are “driving up private housing costs”.

Mr Ó Broin said that ultimately “this is a matter for the voters, and I look forward to getting the opportunity to debate directly with you during that campaign on why I passionately believe that a Sinn Féin led Government with a Sinn Féin housing plan delivering affordable homes at scale is the only way to undo the damage caused by decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy.”