Taoiseach says Bacik did not ‘show up’ for chance to enter Government

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Labour leader did not “show up” when the party had the chance to enter into Government, the Taoiseach has claimed during a heated row on housing policy.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin faced criticism in the Dáil on Tuesday after calling for a debate on housing.

Opposition parties said Government had not taken opportunities to debate housing in the past.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that housing is the “single most immediate challenge” facing the Government, further characterising it as the “civil rights issue of this generation”.

She said her party had offered a motion that would have provided TDs the opportunity to debate housing in the Dáil term, but said no senior minister “showed up”.

“There was tumbleweed on the Government benches during the debate.”

She added: “The lack of input from Government suggests it is not taking the housing crisis seriously.”

Ms Bacik also accused the Government of seeking to remove rent pressure zones, which the Taoiseach rejected.

Mr Martin said: “The Opposition has a habit of making assertions that are not grounded in any fact. I challenge Deputy Bacik to find any statement where I said I would end rent pressure zones and replace them with nothing.”

He said the Housing Commission report contains recommendations around reference pricing.

Mr Martin also called for a debate on housing, with these comments provoking ire across the Opposition benches.

He said: “Is it possible to have a debate on housing without name calling?”

Ms Bacik replied: “We in opposition offered the opportunity for a debate last week but the Taoiseach and Housing Minister did not show up. Barely anyone from the Government showed up.”

In reference to Government formation talks, Mr Martin told the Labour leader: “With the greatest of respect, the Deputy had an opportunity to go into government, but she did not show up.”

Ms Bacik and other Labour representatives said the party engaged in the talks and had been “been showing up for years”.

People Before Profit leader Richard Boyd Barrett later said he was “grimly amused” by the suggestion, saying Government had “run away” from such a debate for the nine months since the publication of the Housing Commission report.

Mr Martin also accused Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan of keeping his “head in the sand” over increasing development on brownfield sites.

He was responding to a question from Mr O’Callaghan on an alleged split within Government on whether broad Section 23 tax breaks would be reintroduced.

Mr O’Callaghan said the Fianna Fail leader was unable to convince his Fine Gael coalition colleagues that his “rapidly unravelling housing plan” was the right approach.

He said the Finance Minister had “publicly slapped down” the reintroduction of Section 23 tax breaks on Monday, when he said such policies harmed the economy and housing delivery.

In particular Minister Paschal Donohoe said Section 23 relief, which allowed companies or individuals to get a tax break on certain rental properties, proved to be “very, very costly”.

Mr Martin said he had never mentioned Section 23 tax breaks, but added work needed to be done on “activating brownfield sites”.

“At the moment, apartment building is not happening – in cities in particular – to the degree that is necessary to give people a chance of either owning an apartment or renting an apartment.”