Deputies critical of ‘measly’ increase in new homes in county

IN an unlikely pairing, Sinn Fein’s John Brady and Fianna Fail’s Pat Casey were singing from the same hymn sheet last week... at the expense of Fine Gael.

Reacting to the Census 2016 figures which were released last Thursday, both deputies were highly critical of the advances made in Wicklow’s housing stock over the past five years.

Deputy Brady said there had been a ‘measly increase’ in Wicklow’s housing stock over this period, when the housing stock in Wicklow increased by just 635, a growth of 1.2 per cent.

‘At a national level, the figure is no better with a housing stock increase since 2011 of just 8,800. This is in stark contrast to the growth of 225,232 dwellings recorded between 2006 and 2011.

‘We have a serious and a growing housing crisis in Wicklow and this level of increases over five years in housing stock is massively inadequate to address this crisis.

Deputy Brady said that Minister Simon Coveney’s Housing Action Plan was ‘failing across the housing spectrum’ and that the exclusion of Greystones as a rent pressure zone ‘is testament to the failure’ of the plan. He said that 4,454 vacant dwellings across the county ‘is also severely impacting on the housing crisis’, adding that these houses ‘need to form part of the plan to provide homes to people in Wicklow’.

‘Without significant improvement in the approval process for new builds and significant increase in funds for new builds and purchases Minister Coveney’s plan will continue to fail those in greatest need of housing in Wicklow,’ said Deputy Brady.

Similarly Deputy Casey said the housing crisis in Wicklow will never be solved if Fine Gael continue at the same pace. He said that double digit house price increases highlights need for review of Help-to-Buy scheme adding that the CSO Census figures are ‘further proof that Fine Gael’s approach to the housing crisis nationally and in Wicklow is failing and failing badly’.

Pointing out that the increase in houses was ‘an increase of just over 100 houses per year’ and that housing waiting list was ‘ over 3,000 and growing’, Deputy Casey said that the current ‘snail’s pace of housing delivery’ can only lead to one conclusion: ‘Wicklow’s housing crisis will never be resolved with the lack of ambition that Fine Gael is bringing to this issue.’

Deputy Casey, who is the Fianna Fail spokesperson on housing, used the figures to reiterate his call for an independent review into the performance and impact of the Help-to-Buy Scheme. He said that the figures showed a growth in residential property prices of 10.7 per cent in the year to February, the fastest rate of growth since May 2015, which is ‘alarming news for people who are desperately struggling to buy their own home.’

‘ There is little point having a Help-to-Buy Scheme for first time buyers if it’s only impact on the ground is to lead to unsustainable house price increases right across the country, as is now clearly the case.

‘Minister Coveney needs to step up his efforts to increase the supply of housing, particularly in Wicklow and the Greater Dublin Area. This is the only way which we will be able to return to a normally functioning housing and rental market,’ said Deputy Casey.