Given the seriousness of the issue and the thousands of children who will be in emergency accommodation over the Christmas period, under Standing Order 73(3)(b), I propose that the vote be taken by other than electronic means.
Confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Catherine Murphy on Tuesday, 3 December 2019:
That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
— the most recently published homeless figures stand at a record 10,397, with 6,524 adults and 3,873 children classified as homeless;
— the number of homeless families has increased by 354 per cent since September 2014, and more than one in three people in emergency accommodation is a child;
— these figures do not account for the thousands of people living with housing uncertainty, living back with parents, staying with friends or with no security of tenure;
— the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness has been published for almost three years and for the third year in a row the Government will fail to meet the targets set out in the plan;
— with a stated target of 121,000 homes built by the end of 2021, given current failures to meet annual targets, Rebuilding Ireland has completely failed and will not achieve its stated objectives;
— the latest Daft.ie report on the private rental sector showed just 3,500 rental properties available nationally;
— the average cost of renting a property in Dublin now exceeds €2,000 a month, the 32nd quarter in a row there has been an increase;
— average rents nationally are 8 per cent higher than the same period last year;
— as a result of the consistent failings of this Government and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, there is an entire generation of people locked out of affordable and secure housing options; and
— the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government has been in his position for two years and has completely failed to address the housing and homelessness emergency, and the consistent growth in the homelessness figures coupled with the failure to meet the Rebuilding Ireland targets underlines that fact;
has no confidence in the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy T.D., and calls for him to be removed from office; and
calls on the Government to:
— urgently introduce an affordable housing scheme;
— immediately expand the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme;
— implement an immediate nationwide rent freeze; and
— accept that the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is not fit for purpose and commit to urgently implementing a new housing plan tackling security of tenure and affordability for all.
Question put.
The Dáil divided by electronic means.
(Interruptions).
We have Standing Orders and, under Standing Order 73(3), the Deputy has demanded a walk-through vote, as is his right. As he is not a teller, however, he requires the support of 20 Deputies. I ask Deputies who support the call to stand in their places.
More than 20 Members rose.
Question again put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 53; Níl, 56; Staon, 35.
Tá
- Adams, Gerry.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Broughan, Thomas P.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Burton, Joan.
- Collins, Joan.
- Collins, Michael.
- Connolly, Catherine.
- Coppinger, Ruth.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Ferris, Martin.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Harty, Michael.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Healy, Seamus.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Martin, Catherine.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Brien, Jonathan.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Sullivan, Jan.
- O'Sullivan, Maureen.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Penrose, Willie.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Brendan.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Bríd.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Ward, Mark.
Níl
- Bailey, Maria.
- Barrett, Seán.
- Breen, Pat.
- Brophy, Colm.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Peter.
- Byrne, Catherine.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Corcoran Kennedy, Marcella.
- Creed, Michael.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Daly, Jim.
- Deasy, John.
- Deering, Pat.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Doyle, Andrew.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Halligan, John.
- Harris, Simon.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Kenny, Enda.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lowry, Michael.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Finian.
- McHugh, Joe.
- McLoughlin, Tony.
- Mitchell O'Connor, Mary.
- Moran, Kevin Boxer.
- Murphy, Dara.
- Murphy, Eoghan.
- Naughten, Denis.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Neville, Tom.
- Noonan, Michael.
- O'Connell, Kate.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Ring, Michael.
- Rock, Noel.
- Ross, Shane.
- Stanton, David.
- Varadkar, Leo.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Staon
- Aylward, Bobby.
- Brassil, John.
- Breathnach, Declan.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Casey, Pat.
- Cassells, Shane.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Collins, Niall.
- Curran, John.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Martin, Micheál.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murphy O'Mahony, Margaret.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Keeffe, Kevin.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Smyth, Niamh.
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Denise Mitchell; Níl, Deputies Seán Kyne and Tony McLoughlin.
Question declared lost.
The Dáil adjourned at 10.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 4 December 2019.