Yesterday’s Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll shows that there is a clamour for genuine change in housing policy among voters, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne said:
“When almost two thirds of all voters believe that the government’s tenure is only causing the housing crisis to spiral further out of control, you know it’s time for change.
“91% of people want to see radical or moderate change in how the country is run – this mirrors the failure of government policy across all facets of public life.
“Hopes of home ownership for those aspiring to buy and affordable costs and security of tenure for those who rent have been dashed by successive Fianna Fáil housing ministers – now, confidence has been lost in this coalition competence to deliver housing.
“Over two third of voters want to see housing enshrined as a constitutional right, yet this government refuses to hold a referendum on the matter.
“There is another approach which would treat the housing emergency with the urgency it deserves; on Wednesday, the Social Democrats launched a new proposal for the creation of a State Construction Company that would deliver homes at the scale required to solve this deepening crisis.
“We will be discussing housing solutions at our party conference this weekend – a State Construction Company would operate alongside existing market delivery of housing, playing a significant role in providing more affordable and social homes.
“More than 80% of voters want more social housing, showing that government policy has strayed too far from the wants and needs of its people – only radical change can end this housing disaster.
“6,734 people living in homeless emergency accommodation at the end of December. Shockingly, over 5,000 of them were children, and there has been a worrying increase in the number of elderly people in homelessness – this cannot go on.
“The government must stop taking backwards steps on housing, such as the introduction of disastrous rental measures which will allow landlords to increase rents between tenancies, and instead adopt viable solutions like the Social Democrats plans for state-led direct delivery of social and affordable housing on a massive scale rather than relying on the market, which will never deliver affordable housing.”
“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael should begin this process by enshrining housing as a human right, just as the majority of people have called for – the Social Democrats is committed to holding a referendum on this issue if in government.”
ENDS
February 6th, 2026