Taoiseach, Soc Dems clash over housing in heated Dáil row

Social Democrats Spokesperson on Housing Rory Hearne and Taoiseach Micheál Martin have traded bitter accusations over the State's ongoing housing crisis.

During Leaders' Questions, the pair accused each other of ideological hypocrisy and a failure to deliver on housing for young people and others.

Mr Hearne accused the Taoiseach of being out of touch with the human toll of the housing crisis, citing cases in his own constituency.

"It's incredible to see you getting worked up over this," Mr Hearne said. "It's a pity you're not worked up about the 5,830 children who are in emergency accommodation right now. There's a lack of empathy.

"You are cold in terms of your response - handing public land over to private developers is what got us into this."

The Taoiseach rejected the assessment, labelling Mr Hearne "disingenuous and dishonest".

"I think it's very disingenuous and dishonest of you to say I'm cold or I'm not prioritising housing.

"You know damn well I am, and your ideology is what is getting in the way of faster delivery in terms of the progression of housing," he said.

Deputy Hearne had launched a scathing critique of the Government's housing record, saying its polices were failing by not treating the housing "catastrophe" as an emergency.

Mr Hearne said the Government has refused to ban no-fault evictions, reverse rental changes, refused to set up a State construction company and refused to stop investor funds buying up properties.

He said a new report from Deloitte which found that Ireland risked missing its 2030 housing target by over 120,000 homes made for grim reading.

He said failings in housing were all down to Government decisions, which were "devastating the lives of tens of thousands of people across this country".

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Watch: Taoiseach, Hearne clash over housing in Dáil

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Mr Hearne said that in six years of a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael government, the median price of a home has risen by €140,000.

"This is your big achievement. Is it any wonder that 70% of young people are considering leaving this country?

"Because they cannot afford the Ireland that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have created," he said.

Responding to the criticism, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he fundamentally rejected Mr Hearne's narrative, insisting the Government has overseen substantial progress.

He said Ireland ranked as the fastest in Europe in terms of house construction.

Mr Martin said in the last six years, 70,000 social houses have been delivered, compared to nearly half of that between 2015 and 2020.

"That is progress, Deputy. You will not acknowledge it because you're in the Opposition.

"You want to exploit every crisis as best you can, but importantly, the progress is quite significant," he told the chamber.

The Taoiseach said the Government has made a significant number of reforms "that you have objected to and opposed every single way".

"Our commencements are up 156% 2026 versus 2025, 35,400 mortgages drawn down in the first three quarters of 2026, 36,000 houses last year," he said.

The Taoiseach said in relation to the Deloitte report, it relied on historical planning permission lapse rates, does not adequately capture the impact of current Government interventions, increased construction capacity, or the measures being implemented to accelerate delivery.

Mr Martin pointed to local opposition by the Social Democrats as evidence of double standards, including a halted development in Swords due to opposition support for a motion blocking the land disposal.

"That's the hypocrisy that you go on with all the time," Mr Martin told the chamber.

"How can you get up here and talk about housing delivery? You're in response to an ideology as opposed to substantial, dramatic focus," he added.