Longford MEP tells EU Housing Commissioner about 'human cost' of housing crisis
Mr Mullooly made the comments during a European Parliament plenary debate on proposed legislation, which could give countries and local authorities more legal certainty to take action in areas under severe housing pressure.
Longford MEP Ciaran Mullooly has told the European Parliament that soaring housing costs have become “one of the defining political challenges of a generation”.
The Midlands-North West representative, who highlighted experiences within his own 15-county European Parliament constituency, referred to examples of families in Meath and Galway during a Strasbourg debate today.
The discussion was focused on the EU’s proposed Affordable Housing Act.
Mr Mullooly made the intervention during a European Parliament plenary debate on the proposed legislation, which is intended to give Member States and local authorities greater legal certainty to take action in areas under severe housing pressure, including measures relating to short-term lets and certain purchases and uses of residential property.
European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen was in the chamber for the debate as the Commissioner responsible for the proposed Affordable Housing Act.
Irish Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne was also present representing the Council of the European Union during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council.
Opening his intervention, Mr Mullooly told both men, “Commissioner, Minister, the rising costs of housing have become one of the defining political challenges of a generation.”
The Midlands-North-West MEP then brought the debate directly back to the experience of people struggling with housing costs in Minister Byrne’s own County Meath.
He said, “Minister, in your own county, Hannah Clarke from St Vincent de Paul in Navan in County Meath told me that where once they were asked to help with food and heat, today they’re being asked to help with rent and eviction notices.”
Mr Mullooly said the housing crisis was also preventing young working people from establishing homes of their own, highlighting the experience of one family in County Galway.
“In County Galway, Carina, mother of seven, tells me that six children still live at home.
"The eldest is 29. They have all good jobs, but they can’t move out because the average price of a house is €400,000.”
While welcoming the objectives behind the proposed EU legislation, Mr Mullooly told Commissioner Jørgensen that considerably more action would be required to tackle affordability.
He specifically pressed the Commissioner to accelerate promised action concerning the role of large investment funds in European housing markets.
“Vulture funds. You talked about doing something on this next year. Let’s bring it on as quickly as we can to deter, to try and get in there and bring down the price of a house, because that’s what we must do.”
Mr Mullooly said tackling affordability would also require increasing supply and making it quicker and less expensive to construct and renovate homes.
“We must act quicker and easier to try and build and renovate homes. How can we do that? Let us try and bring forward legislation in this area, but also at Member State level.”
Mr Mullooly stated that national governments must also examine taxation and other costs which ultimately feed into the price paid for a new home.
“Let us look at VAT as well. Let us look at ways in which we can bring down the cost of building our new homes and deal with this serious issue," he concluded.