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Today’s harrowing record-high homelessness figures are an indictment of a Government which has completely lost control of Ireland’s housing emergency, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “Today’s figures show there were a record 17,308 people living in homeless emergency accommodation at the end of February. Shockingly, 5,457 of them are […]

Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne will introduce a bill tomorrow (Wednesday, March 25) to give people a constitutional right to housing. Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “I am introducing my bill at a time when evictions and homelessness are at record levels. There is no mention of a right to housing […]

It is unconscionable that sick, elderly and disabled people in a retirement village in Sligo have been issued eviction notices, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “In November, the tenants of six of the houses in Sonas Retirement Village in Enniscrone were told by their landlord, Nasso BK Holdings Ltd, […]

Rental measures introduced by government on March 1st have led to record levels of eviction notices not seen since the famine, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “In the months leading up to the government’s rental changes, which allow landlords to reset rents to market rate between tenancies, I repeatedly […]

The Minister for Education must explain why a number of children in Finglas are receiving just two hours of school time a day in a community hall because of a delay in delivering two special classes, according to Social Democrats TDs Rory Hearne and Jen Cummins. Deputy Hearne, who represents Dublin North-West, said: “I have […]

New figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that residential property prices have continued to spiral out of control under this government, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “According to figures released today by the CSO, property prices increased by 7 per cent in […]

The government must legislate against the out-of-control number of AirBnBs and vacant homes across Ireland, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “Today, we’ve heard two interconnected stories which highlight the utter disaster of the housing crisis and the failure of government housing policy. “Threshold has shown that more than 8,600 […]

A collapse in commencements in 2025 is hugely concerning and means the government has no hope of meeting its housing targets, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “A new report from Irish banks, which shows housing commencements declined by more than 75% in 2025, is deeply concerning. “In some areas, […]

It is highly inappropriate that the Minister for Housing is attending an international property conference in France this week aimed at enticing more vulture funds to Ireland, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne, who is the party’s housing spokesperson, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the Minister did not heed my call […]

The emergence of leaked video footage today makes a nonsense of claims by the Minister for Housing that eviction notices issued to tenants in 36 properties in Wexford last week were not related to the government’s new rent regulations, according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “In the leaked video, the landlord’s […]