Solidarity/People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has described as "shameful" a decision by the Government not to support his party's bill to have the right to housing enshrined in the Constitution.
He was speaking as he opened tonight's private members business debate on the bill which seeks to hold a referendum to insert a new article into the constitution obliging the State to guarantee housing.
Mr Boyd Barrett said: "In doing that you are ignoring the views of the Simon Community, Peter McVerry, the Children's Rights Alliance, the Mercy Law Centre and the constitutional convention which voted by 84% to insert the right to housing in the constitution."
He said that even "the Taoiseach's new best pal Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister is about to bring the right to housing into Canadian law.
He added: "81 other countries in the world have it but the Irish government say no, in the face of an absolutely catastrophic housing emergency."
"The Taoiseach's new best pal Justin Trudeau, is about to bring the right to housing into Canadian law' @RBoydBarrett tells Dáil @rtenews pic.twitter.com/LevzwaBYLJ
— Conor McMorrow (@ConorMcMorrow) September 20, 2017
Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy told the Dáil that the motion was a matter being considered by the Constitutional Convention and it was the Government's belief that all rights should be considered in totality.
He acknowledged that it was important that as a parliament, issues are debated and while he was not dismissing Mr Boyd Barrett's bill, he did believe it required further discussion.
Mr Murphy commended Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen for saying that the crisis is beyond party politics and he expressed hope that that was the case.
He defended the Government's Housing strategy and insisted that the Government is working to solve the housing problem.
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Meanwhile Mr Cowen said that his party is opposed to the Solidarity/People Before Profit bill.
He said his party believes the bill should be delayed to allow the housing committee to consider the report of the constitutional convention on this matter.
He said broadening of the Constitution should be done carefully and consideration needs to be given to the consequences.
He said the most important task for Government at the moment is not a referendum, it is ensuring that there is supply of housing.
Mr Cowen said the new Capital Plan should be the Dáil's and the Government's priority in this area.
He also said that Fianna Fáil want to see the re-establishment of an affordable housing scheme as there is no such scheme in the State at the moment.
