A Donegal TD has hit out at the government for prioritising debt over providing housing for Irish families.
Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty was speaking after a letter obtained under a Freedom of Information request showed that Finance Minister Michael Noonan told NAMA in September 2015 that redemption of debt should take precedence over it’s contribution to tackling the housing crisis in any future plans.
Deputy Doherty believes the use of NAMA buildings to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis should be given priority.
He says the occupation of Apollo House in Dublin has re-focussed public attention on the role of NAMA in tackling the housing crisis and that it should be used to provide housing for the more than 7,000 people classified as homeless in Ireland.
The Sinn Fein finance spokesperson has called on the government to not put the bondholder first and utilise NAMA’s profit to build houses in areas of most need.
