Clean-up ‘for the health of homeless’
»»Canal work a bid to help says Murphy »»Fg plans to build 60,000 social houses
THE Housing Minister has defended the “clean up” work that left a homeless man paralysed when council workers tried to move his tent with a digger while he slept.
Eoghan Murphy claimed the process was for their own “health and safety”.
Mr Murphy was speaking at the Fine Gael social housing policy launch in the old City Assembly House.
The building is now home to the Irish Georgian Society and is Fine Gael’s campaign headquarters for Election 2020.
Mr Murphy promised if the party get back in power they will deliver 60,000 social houses in the next five years.
And he said he wants to serve in housing again in a new Government.
But first he was asked by the Irish Mirror if he believed the homeless man who is now paralysed was any safer than he was before the Grand Canal “clean-up” in Dublin.
Mr Murphy said: “No, the reason people were there is they were trying to help those homeless people get into safe and secure accommodation and get them the support they need.
“There is an investigation under way at the moment and I think it needs to be investigated very quickly.
“I was shocked and very distraught but it was an accident.
“It’s not a clean-up policy, let’s be clear about this.
“People who were sleeping there were in a situation that was precarious and their own health and safety was at risk.”
Speaking about his new social housing policy he added: “2020 will see the highest number of social homes added to the stock in a single year this century with 11,000 homes delivered – but we know that’s not enough.
“That’s why, over the next five years, we will deliver 60,000 social houses. Fine
Gael is the only party which has set out a long-term, achievable vision for the social housing sector.
“The private sector has a role to play in delivering social homes but this will reduce as our building programme continues to expand.”
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was also at the policy launch and added: “Fine Gael has taken the longterm view on social housing with €11.6billion committed out to 2027 in Project Ireland 2040.”
11k Number of social homes set to be delivered this year across the country
€11bn How committed social much houses is to being until help build 2027