SDCC calls for referendum on right to a home
Every child born in Ireland should be “entitled” to have a roof over their head, a South Dublin County Council meeting has heard.
Councillors have called on the Government to start the process for a referendum to be held on the right to a home, amid high levels of homelessness.
The call was made at the local authority’s September meeting, where councillors voted in favour of writing to the Taoiseach and Minister for Housing to begin the process and introduce emergency measures to tackle homelessness.
Independent councillor Francis Timmons, who brought forward the motion, said the proposed referendum would begin a wider conversation about “the right to a home”.
“We do have a housing crisis,” Cllr Timmons said.
“We’re not going to sort out the housing crisis today. We’re not even going to decide what the wording of a referendum will be.”
“This is just to start off a conversation. There’s a lot of challenges ahead in terms of infrastructure to make homes and communities sustainable, and the wording of a referendum will be decided, obviously, by the Government and the Attorney General.”
“But this offers us a chance and a conversation about ‘what is a home’ and what does it look like.”
Cllr Kay Keane highlighted the impact of emergency accommodation on children.
“There have been numerous reports, studies done, which show the detriment that these children are facing,” she said.
“When it comes to development, when it comes to actual social skills, some children can’t even walk at an age where they should be taking their first steps.”
Cllr William Carey also supported the motion, saying every child born in Ireland should have a roof over their head.
“The issue is that each and every child born in this country is entitled to have a roof over their head,” he said.
“As they grow and become part and parcel of the nation, they have a right to a home, and that’s what this central principle is about.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Yvonne Collins said she would prefer “legislative solutions”, arguing that constitutional referendums were “time-consuming”.
“I think the best way to deal with this is to propose and consider legislative solutions to the housing crisis, with a view to implementing policies to deal with the situation in which we find ourselves,” she said.
The motion was ultimately passed at the full council meeting.