Taoiseach's 'sniggering' in Oval Office about housing crisis 'caused real hurt', says Sinn Féin
Turning to the Taoiseach's meeting in the Oval Office last week, during which the Irish Examiner asked president Donald Trump about Ireland's housing crisis, Mary Lou McDonald said it was 'not lost on anyone' that as Jack Chambers was 'caught out for misleading the public at home, the Taoiseach was sitting in the Oval Office laughing about Ireland's housing crisis'. File photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
The Taoiseach has been asked to reflect on the "real hurt" he caused after "sniggering" at those who have been caught up in the housing crisis.
Members of the Opposition have demanded that the Government provide real housing targets for this year and accused the coalition of "fooling" the public ahead of the general election.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said ministers had repeatedly claimed that 40,000 homes would be delivered in 2024 during the general election campaign.
"This was a ploy to fool people into believing that the Government had made real progress on housing. Of course, we all knew it was bull. We now know that in fact 30,330 homes were delivered in 2024."
She said that just days before the election was called, then finance minister Jack Chambers had been given a Department of Finance report that "laid out in black and white" that the housing targets would not be met.
Turning to the Taoiseach's meeting in the Oval Office last week, during which the asked president Donald Trump about Ireland's housing crisis, Ms McDonald said it was "not lost on anyone" that as Mr Chambers was "caught out for misleading the public at home, the Taoiseach was sitting in the Oval Office laughing about Ireland's housing crisis".
She told the Dáil: "The American president stated that the housing crisis is because Ireland is doing so well and that it is a good problem. The Taoiseach replied 'that's a pretty good answer, Mr President"'
She added: "I ask the Taoiseach to reflect on that and on the fact that his sniggering caused real hurt."
Responding, Micheál Martin denied he was sniggering and said he had pointed out that housing is the number one issue in this country while in the Oval Office.
"I have consistently said, during the last Government and in this Government, that this is the number one issue. The deputy will choose to play politics with it on an ongoing basis. She chose not to go to Washington DC. That was a big mistake in my view."
Also raising the White House interaction, Labour leader Ivana Bacik said: "What we heard from his Government during the general election campaign was propaganda on housing that had no basis in fact. What we now need are new ideas and some urgency."
Cian O'Callaghan of the Social Democrats pressed the Taoiseach on the targets for this year, which Mr Martin eventually said remains at 41,000 units.
Mr Martin said: "No matter what target gets set in here, the deputy will always find a way, it is to say that the Government is not setting a target high enough, and if it exceeds it, it clearly did not set it high enough, and so forth. Now the deputy wants me to set a target two months into the year again so that he can have another go at the setting of targets."
