Local councillor says President should leave government to speak on housing

Cllr Noel Cribbin has said he doesn't think it's for President Michael D. Higgins to comment on the housing issue in the country.

“He should leave it to us in government. I don't think that's a part of his brief.”

Cllr Cribbin agreed with the sentiments of the President's speech in that there is a housing crisis nationally but that it will be a problem no matter what government is in power.

President Higgins recently gave an impassioned speech at the opening of a centre for homeless people in Kildare saying, “It isn’t a crisis any more, it is a disaster. I think we have to really think about meeting the basic needs of people in a republic.

“There are people who built homes and building homes is what is important. It’s not to be a star performer for the speculative sector internationally or anything else.”

“Isn’t it something very much closer to the poor law system that we thought we were departing from.”