29/07/2026
Aontú Clare representative June Dillon has said she was very disappointed by FF Councillor Tony O'Brien's response to her concerns about vacant social housing.
Cllr O'Brien claimed that "throwing out sound bites, statistics, mixing them up with national policy and local policy doesn't do anybody any good and trying to gain political points on the housing crisis certainly isn't very becoming of a political party."
June Dillon said there is no issue more serious than Ireland's housing and homelessness crisis. To suggest that an opposition party shouldn't challenge the Government over years of housing failures is simply wrong. Holding the Government to account is exactly what opposition parties have a duty to do.
She said that when talking about the housing crisis, it is entirely reasonable to look at the Government's record on delivering homes. People have every right to raise concerns about housing without being dismissed or having their motives questioned.
Aontú isn't just pointing out the problems. The party has put forward practical solutions, including temporarily suspending VAT on building materials and construction services to reduce costs and help get more homes built. June Dillon said this crisis needs parties to engage in genuine cross-party dialogue and work together on solutions.
"Instead of engaging with the substance of the issues being raised, it's disappointing that some Government representatives choose to undermine and belittle those who raise legitimate concerns. That kind of politics doesn't put a single family into a home. Most people can see through those tactics. What people want is a serious discussion about serious problems and a willingness to consider ideas, no matter where they come from."
She also rejected any suggestion that she had criticised council staff. That was never her point. She simply highlighted how Longford County Council improved efficiency by using its own repair teams to refurbish vacant homes more quickly.
She stressed that every social house must, of course, be safe and meet the required standards before a family moves in. But where appropriate, minor cosmetic works could be finished afterwards if it means people can get the keys to a home sooner.
June Dillon believes every political party has a responsibility to challenge policies that aren't working. Instead of criticising those raising legitimate concerns, she believes Cllr O'Brien would do better to encourage his own party to tackle the policies that have helped create the housing crisis, including the slow pace of housing delivery and long delays in preparing vacant homes for new tenants. Cross-party collaboration would achieve far more for the thousands of people desperately trying to secure a home than this kind of divisive and unproductive political posturing.
June Dillon - Aontú Clare interview on Clare FM below
Calls For VAT Scrap To Speed Up Clare Housing Delivery - News % Clare FM
