JOHN GORMLEY'S approach to housing during his first year as Minister for the Environment has been characterised by a litany of failures and missed opportunities, according to Labour Party spokesman on the issue Ciarán Lynch.
He accused the Minister of a lack of commitment to dealing with housing, which was a vitally important issue for many people .
"The Greens have been in Government for a full year now, and while John Gormley has been making a great song and dance about improving the environment, housing, another crucial component of his portfolio, seems to have fallen off his radar screen entirely," said Mr Lynch.
He said that the programme for government agreed between the Greens and Fianna Fáil had made grandiose promises about a whole range of housing issues, but most of them seemed to have fallen through the cracks.
Mr Lynch listed a series of what he claimed were broken promises made by Mr Gormley in the Dáil. They included:
• The promise to provide social and affordable housing to meet the needs of 90,000 households.
• The promise to bring about a significant reduction in homelessness.
• The promise to expand paths to home ownership.
• The promise to extend the remit of the Affordable Homes Partnership nationwide.
• The promise to introduce incentives for areas covered by Affordable Homes Partnership.
• The promise to provide affordable childcare in housing estates.
• The promise to initiate a retirement village pilot scheme.
• The promise to improve noise insulation in homes.