Connolly Says The Downplaying Of The Housing Emergency Is Unacceptable
Presidential candidate Catherine Connolly today said that the housing crisis is the defining social issue of our time, and is very concerned at comments by Heather Humphreys that sought to downplay the situation.
Catherine said:
“Housing is the defining social issue of our time. It cuts across every aspect of Irish life - from the inability of young people to rent or buy, to families forced into emergency accommodation, to communities hollowed out by emigration. Nothing is having a more corrosive effect on our society or our future.
"Against that reality, it is deeply troubling to hear Heather Humphreys refer to housing as a mere “challenge.” For the tens of thousands who are homeless, for the workers spending most of their wages on rent, and for the older people waiting years for social housing, this is not a challenge - it is a crisis, plain and simple.
"Words matter. To soften the reality with euphemisms is to minimise the suffering of those affected.
"The scale of this crisis can not be downplayed and has to be acknowledged. Housing is the great social emergency of this generation, and meeting it head-on requires courage, honesty, and an unwavering commitment to building a fairer Ireland.”
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