Government has made no progress on affordable rent three years on from first announcement

                    - Cost Rental Pilot Project first announced in 2015 has yet to go to tender -
Fianna Fáil Housing Spokesperson Darragh O’Brien has criticized the Government for the three-year delay in progressing an affordable rental scheme.

A reply to a Parliamentary Question put down by Deputy O’Brien has shown that the project still has yet to go to tender, the number of units involved remains unknown and no eligibility criteria has been published.

The project was first announced in October 2015 and again most recently in January.

Deputy O’Brien said, “Rents have soared across the country, particularly in the cities and large urban areas. Since the Government announced their pilot project rents have increased by 10% or more per annum in Dublin.

“Dublin rents are now €4,500 higher than the previous peak in 2007. Ordinary workers and young people are struggling to find somewhere to live and are finding it impossible to save for a home of their own. Despite this the Government has failed to move on a scheme it announced three years ago.

“The fact that we still don’t know how many units will be provided, who will be able to apply and what the criteria will be is a damming indictment of Government inaction on this crisis. We’ve seen an unprecedented amount of spin from Government on housing but little in the way of substantive action.

“If we don’t make affordable housing a reality for buyers and renters we will condemn a generation to uncertainty and damage our own economic prospects. The scheme should be expedited as a matter of urgency by the Government. It’s not acceptable to continuously announce projects which end up going nowhere,” concluded Deputy O’Brien.