Pringle: Failed FF/FG housing policies forcing people to put their lives on hold

By Thomas Pringle
Updated: 25th November 2024

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said young people are not getting a fair start in life because of failed government housing policies that see 1 in 7 Donegal adults living with their parents.

Deputy Pringle said: “Our young people and our young families are not able to find affordable and secure housing. They’re being forced to put their lives on hold. This isn’t right and this isn’t fair.

“And this crisis has been made worse by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael policies that benefit developers rather than people of all ages in Donegal and across the country who are simply looking for a place they can call home. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.

“The government’s Help to Buy scheme does nothing but push up prices, though the average price of a home in Donegal was already 65% higher than levels seen at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. And very few people are even eligible for the scheme in Donegal, given that it’s only for houses built after 2017.

“So when the government claims they are helping all first-time buyers with this scheme, that is simply not the case. The government’s First Home Shared Equity Scheme is just as ineffective, as it only applies to new builds.

“Housing for All? Tell that to young people across Donegal and across the country who are living with their parents because they see no alternative, or who have had to move away because of the housing crisis.

“The 2022 Census shows that Donegal has one of the higher percentages in the country of adults age 18 and over who are living with their parents. Nationally, the census found 41% of people between the ages of 18 and 34 were living with their parents.

“The severe lack of housing development in our towns and villages has had a terrible impact not only on individuals and families, but on our rural communities as well.

“And in response, we have had a government that has set hopelessly low housing targets and failed even to meet those.

“We need a government that puts people first. There must be far more focus on building public housing, cost rental and affordable purchase homes in rural areas to make sure all housing needs are met,” he said.

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