Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty has criticised the Government, saying its failures are endangering the construction of thousands of homes, reports RTE.
Meanwhile many people on social media claim that Sinn Fein would be even worse if they were in government.
He claimed that warnings have now been issued by two senior civil servants regarding serious infrastructure shortages.
Mr Doherty pointed to limited capacity in both water systems and the electricity network, reports RTE.
“Money is not the problem, so the problem must be the incompetence and decisions made over and over again,” he said.
Tánaiste Simon Harris responded by acknowledging that housing remains the country’s most pressing internal issue.
Mr Harris highlighted that over 133,000 new homes were built between 2020 and 2024, reports RTE.
Speaking in the Dáil, he stated that the Government intends to accelerate planning processes and increase funding for utilities to achieve the target of 300,000 new homes.
The Tánaiste also rejected criticism from Sinn Féin on water issues and accused the party of spreading misinformation about the Government’s plans concerning Uisce Éireann, reports RTE.
O’Callaghan questions Tánaiste on assessments waiting list
Elsewhere, Cian O’Callaghan, deputy leader of the Social Democrats, challenged the Tánaiste on the Government’s inaction since a court ruling three years ago struck down the fast-track process for need assessments, reports RTE.
He said the coalition had neglected this area, with 15,000 children now waiting for assessments.
Mr O’Callaghan warned that the situation is worsening, with projections showing the list could grow to 25,000 by year’s end, reports RTE.
In response, Mr Harris said the Government had reached an agreed path forward and would amend the legislation.
He stressed that decisions on assessment durations should be made by healthcare professionals.
Mr Harris also noted that one-third of children assessed are told they do not have a disability and argued these children deserve faster clarity, reports RTE.
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