Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that the government doesn't seem to realise the country is facing an emergency over housing.
Ahead of next week's elections local and European elections, the Sinn Féin leader has criticised Fine Gael's "piecemeal efforts".
"Let's just be clear about this, piecemeal efforts to hide the blushes of this government is not enough. We have a housing and homeless crisis," she said after thousands of protesters marched to the GPO in Dublin yesterday as part of a rally organised by trade unions, and political and community groups
"It is deep and it is widespread. The government have sat on their hands.
"They need to get off the side off the pitch, they need to understand that the State has to intervene - piecemeal interventions won't do it," she added.
It was revealed today in the [url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-state-spends-1-2bn-on-housing-even-though-building-is-cheaper-38125430.html]Sunday Independent[/url] that the government has spent €1.2 billion on buying privately built homes during the housing crisis.
Since 2011, €218 million has been spent on buying 974 units for social housing in Dublin City.
Elsewhere, €133 million has been spent in Kildare, €65 million in Limerick and €48 million in Tipperary and Cork.
