Housing minister urges Sinn Féin politicians to clarify position on housing schemes
Darragh O'Brien has raised 'inconsistencies' between elected Sinn Féin representatives and official party policyHousing Minister Darragh O'Brien has written to senior Sinn Féin politicians demanding that they explain why they are personally pushing for housing measures that the party wants Housing minister urges Sinn Féin politicians to clarify position on housing schemes
Darragh O'Brien has raised 'inconsistencies' between elected Sinn Féin representatives and official party policy
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien has asked the TDs if they are going against their own party on housing issues. Picture: Damien Storan
WED, 17 APR, 2024 - 01:00
ELAINE LOUGHLIN POLITICAL EDITOR
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien has written to senior Sinn Féin politicians demanding that they explain why they are personally pushing for housing measures that the party wants to abolish.
Raising the "inconsistencies" between elected Sinn Féin representatives and official party policy, Mr O'Brien has contacted members of Mary Lou McDonalds's front bench requesting that they "explicitly clarify" their position on first-time buyer supports.
In a letter seen by the Irish Examiner,Mr O'Brien has stated: "At least 10 Sinn Féin deputies, including frontbench spokespersons, have put forward questions that clearly imply the continuation of schemes which in fact you intend to abolish if in Government."
While Sinn Féin has made it clear that it is against the help to buy scheme, the first home shared equity scheme, and is highly critical of vacancy refurbishment grants, in the background members have been pressing Mr O'Brien to expand these supports.
Mr O'Brien has now asked the TDs if they are going against their own party on housing issues.
It comes following a question form Louise O'Reilly, who in raising the "concerns" of her constituents in Fingal, described the current ceiling for the first home scheme as "insufficient" and asked if these thresholds would be reviewed.
A separate query from Matt Carthy asked Finance Minister Michael McGrath if he has any plans to extend the help to buy scheme limits for people who build their own home, claiming that "the current conditions discriminate against rural dwellers who build on their own land"; while Rose Conway-Walsh also asked if there are plans to review the €500,000 ceiling for house purchases under the help to to buy scheme.
Claire Kerrane, Pauline Tully, Thomas Gould, Ruairí Ó Murchú, Patricia Ryan, and Reada Cronin have also questioned the Government on its intentions around expanding or updating these housing supports.
In his letter, Mr O'Brien said: "Your questions would strongly imply that you support the on-going implementation of these vital schemes.
"In contrast, Sinn Féin position is to fully abolish them."
"It is important in the interests of informed political debate and transparency to clarify that your party position is to abolish these schemes.
"I trust that you inform constituents who come to you with specific queries in relation to these schemes of your policy position to abolish these schemes. Or if you support them that you do not agree with Sinn Féin position of scrapping them."
It is understood that none of the Sinn Féin TDs contacted have responded to the letter, sent on February 21, which asked them to "explicitly clarify" their position on the Government's housing supports.
Addressing the Fianna Fáil ard fheis over the weekend, Mr O'Brien took aim at Sinn Féin, describing the party's housing plan "as puzzling as that old riddle 'often talked of, never seen, ever coming, never been' — for four years they have talked about it but no one has actually seen it".
He told members that "we don’t know what they are in favour of but we do know what they are against", adding that they want to scrap the help to buy scheme, the first home scheme, and the €70,000 vacant property grant.
"Almost 150,000 people are benefiting from those schemes. Sinn Féin would pull up the ladder of opportunity from the next generation looking for that support. Its deeply irresponsible politics that would badly damage home building and home buying."
Punch & Judy politics yet again.
SF/IRA = Scum
