9 November 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Sinn Féin General Election candidate Cllr Pat Buckley has described as “deluded and detached” the comments of Tom Barry TD in which he described his fear of having to sell ten of his properties due to new rental rules being introduced by the government.
Councillor Buckley said;
“The comments made by Tom Barry TD are deluded and detached. He is completely removed from the real difficulties faced by ordinary people as they struggle to put and keep a roof over their own heads and the heads of their children.
“It is incredible that a person in Tom’s position is lamenting his own situation as 15,000 people and their dependents languish on housing waiting lists in Cork County and City. My heart bleeds for him.
“Families are under severe pressure to meet high rents in the private sector as a result of this government failing to plan and deliver on social and affordable housing.The steps taken by the government only restrict Tom to one rent hike every two years. Delaying unaffordable rents becoming even more unaffordable will not stop families already at risk of losing their home becoming homeless in the coming months
“In my view, this is still far short of injecting the rent certainty that is needed for those struggling to make ends meet.
“It is sad and infuriating that Tom Barry TD is more concerned about his ‘property rights’ than in the imperative of providing affordable housing for a huge number of people throughout Cork.
“Deputy Barry is clearly disconnected from the reality on the ground in our communities. He must be completely insulated from the hardship and poverty that has resulted from the austerity agenda and the policies that he has supported as a TD for East Cork.”
File photo of Tom Barry TD (Fine Gael)
