Aengus O'Snodaigh TD - Speaking on a Right to Housing.
Published: 1 March, 2008
Adequate shelter is one of the basic human needs. Good housing is one of the most important elements of a healthy society, and is crucial to the welfare of our people and our communities. This is something that the 26 County government have clearly forgotten. There are currently around 44,000 households on the social housing waiting lists.
Homelessness has more than doubled in recent years but the current housing system is not designed to help them. It is designed undoubtedly to benefit private developers, speculators, big landowners, landlords, estate agents, management companies and the establishment parties they sponsor. The government, through their unwillingness to change this situation have failed the housing needs of the population. Sinn Féin has a realistic alternative vision for housing, based on our understanding of housing as a human right.
Every person in Ireland has the right to live in security, peace and dignity, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. Every person in Ireland has the right to adequate and appropriate housing and a right to housing regardless of income or access to economic resources. On this basis, housing is a right and it is one which must be legislated for north and south and constitutionally guaranteed.
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