Richard Boyd Barrett Exposes Empty Social Homes and Elder Homelessness
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke about empty apartments designated for social housing and the resulting homelessness among elderly tenants. He criticised developers for sitting on vacant units and pressed the government to act to house people like Joan and Joe.
Cases cited
Joan is 86 and faces homelessness because her landlord is selling; Joe is 78 and has been sleeping on his sister's couch for over a year. These individuals were cited as immediate examples of people in need of social housing and emergency accommodation.
Empty social housing blocks identified
He identified an apartment block in Cherrywood with 30 two-bedroom and one-bedroom units lying empty for 18 months that were supposed to be for social housing. He also said he had heard of two more apartment blocks in South Dublin sitting empty and noted that the Independent had highlighted another block in Phoenix Park that had been vacant for months.
Government exchange on responsibility
During the exchange, the speaker asked what would be done about the empty units and was challenged that the situation was not solely the government's fault. A response referenced contractual disagreements between the developer and an approved housing body as the reason for delays, and the need to resolve such disputes in the best interest of taxpayers and those seeking housing.
Speaker's assessment and demand for action
He described the situation as systemic and called it disgraceful that property developers are sitting on housing meant for social provision. He asked the government what it will do to ensure vacant social housing is made available to people in need.
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Joan is 86, and because her landlord is selling up, she is facing homelessness and emergency accommodation. Joe is 78, and he's sleeping on his sister's couch for over a year. But meanwhile, as yesterday I highlighted, there's an apartment block nearby in Cherrywood, with two-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments, 30 of them, lying empty for 18 months, which were supposed to be for social housing, to house people like Joe, and Joan. Since I highlighted that yesterday, I've heard there are two more apartment blocks in South Dublin, also sitting empty, also designated for social housing. I also note that the Independent highlighted another apartment block in Phoenix Park at the weekend, designated for social housing, sitting empty for months and months and months. This is systemic. This is property developers sitting on empty property that is supposed to be social housing, and you're letting it happen. What are you going to do about it? Do you have to respond? But Deputy, it's not we're letting it happen. Come on. It's happening. No, what are you saying? It's wrong that it's happening, but the developer and the approved housing body have contractual disagreements. Are you saying government should just ignore it? Side with who? No, no, you don't sit back either, but you get the thing resolved in the best interest of the taxpayer, and in the best interest of those, and in the best interest of those seeking housing as well. But there are reasons why particular cases like this happen. They're disgraceful, but they happen. Thank you.
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