Dublin City Council rejects claim by Simon Harris that many homeless people don't have right to housing in Ireland

"At yesterday's monthly council meeting, elected representatives passed a motion calling his assertion "baseless" and accusing him of attempting to "scapegoat and demonise migrants" for the housing crisis. Introducing the motion, Labour councillor Darragh Moriarty said the Tánaiste was conflating the issues of housing, homelessness and immigration, and had presided over a housing crisis for the last decade and a half. "[Simon Harris] has never met a problem that he won't blame on someone else, and now he's pointing the finger at migrants. It's disgraceful," he said."

"The motion was met with a round of applause in the council chamber, with support expressed from many councillors in attendance. Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said he agreed with the motion "100pc", adding that every housing report the council receives points to the housing and homelessness crisis, with evictions of tenants by landlords exacerbating the issue. "We need to appeal to the Tánaiste and this government to stop mischief making and misleading. It is dangerous," he said. Janet Horner of the Green Party also spoke in support of the motion, and said politicians needed to be conscious of "the power of their words" when discussing "people in highly vulnerable situations"."

"The lone voice defending Mr Harris in the chamber came from Independent councillor Malachy Steenson, who said "for once" he agreed with the Tánaiste. "No non-national in this state should be provided with accommodation ahead of national people, ahead of those who are born here, ahead of those who have been here for generations," he said. "That is simply the way it should be." A separate motion on Dublin City Council recognising housing as a human right, introduced by Social Democrats councillor Lesley Byrne, was also passed by councillors yesterday."

At a monthly council meeting, elected representatives passed a motion calling the Tánaiste's assertion "baseless" and accusing him of attempting to "scapegoat and demonise migrants" for the housing crisis. Labour councillor Darragh Moriarty introduced the motion and accused the Tánaiste of conflating housing, homelessness and immigration while presiding over a long-running housing crisis. Sinn Féin and Green Party councillors supported the motion, citing eviction-driven pressures and warning about the power and danger of misleading language toward vulnerable people. Independent councillor Malachy Steenson defended the Tánaiste and argued nationals should be prioritised for accommodation. Councillors also passed a separate motion recognising housing as a human right.

Read at Irish Independent