News

Renters are in total despair about their living situation Nearly 45pc of households in Dublin Bay South are in private rental accommodation – and have been utterly abandoned by successive governments, according to Social Democrats by-election candidate Sarah Durcan. Ms Durcan was commenting as she launched the Social Democrats’ Renters’ Charter, outlining reforms that are […]

Linking rents to inflation is a policy for another era The Government plan to link rent increases to the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices will see rents continue to rise by about 2pc per year, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “The Government’s plan to link rent increases to inflation is coming […]

Government housing policy prioritises the interests of private developers and private profit The Department of Housing has confirmed it is undertaking a review of its long-term leasing policy and targets, according to Social Democrats Councillor Aidan Farrelly. In January, on foot of a motion from Cllr Farrelly, Kildare County Council wrote to Housing Minister Darragh […]

Ordinary buyers cannot compete with investors who have millions or even billions to spend The asking price of a four-bed semi in Rathmines increasing by nearly 80pc in a week suggests sky-high rents are now distorting the entire housing market, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “This house in Rathmines – which will […]

Their first instinct was to make life more difficult for home buyers – rather than check their obligations under GDPR Estate agents who sought their customers personal data, in breach of their GDPR obligations, should apologise to their customers, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan was responding after the Data Protection […]

Leo Varadkar’s pledge to construct 40,000 homes per year not credible The State’s over-reliance on the private market to solve the housing crisis means nearly one-third of new homes are now bought by institutions, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “According to the Social Justice Ireland, the proportion of newly built homes bought […]

Supports offered by the government should not depend on your proximity to Leinster House The mica scandal is another grim legacy of boom era shoddy construction standards, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “Ordinary people have again been left to pick up the pieces of lax government regulations and building standards – quite […]

The Data Protection Commission should immediately issue a statement on whether this practice is GDPR compliant Reports that a prominent estate agent is demanding copies of bank statements, before it will arrange viewings of homes, are extremely concerning, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “The extent of personal banking information that is reportedly […]

Our existing data centres will account for 33pc of all electricity consumption by 2030 The government’s support of data centres has created a monster that is now out of control, according to Social Democrats Climate Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore. Deputy Whitmore addressed the issue today at the Oireachtas Climate Committee, which is currently debating amendments to […]

Minor tweaks won’t cut it anymore – renters want real and substantial reform Today’s cabinet decision to extend limited COVID-19 tenant protections will only provide assistance to a tiny minority of tenants, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “Today’s decision to extend the COVID-19 tenant protections will be cold comfort for the vast […]

The Minister has distinguished himself by refusing to listen to the advice of experts A new ESRI report has confirmed what most of us already knew – the government’s housing policy is doomed to fail, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “This landmark ESRI report echoes what the Social Democrats have repeatedly stated: […]

Tragically, there was an 80pc increase in the deaths of single homeless people in 2020 We need a sustained and co-ordinated effort to reduce the number of deaths of homeless people, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan was reacting to an interim report by Dr Austin O’Carroll, Mortality in Single Homeless Population […]

The large number of people sleeping rough in Dublin is an indictment of the government’s failed housing policy, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. “New data from the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive shows 125 people are sleeping rough – an indictment of this Government and its failed housing policies. No one should be sleeping on […]

How can we expect this government to solve the rental crisis when they don’t seem to understand their own legislation? Rent hikes of 8pc across the country must be stopped, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. Deputy O’Callaghan said: “A rent freeze implemented for the duration of the pandemic is set to be […]