A CONTROVERSIAL social media campaign shared by the Department of Housing, which offered advice to young people moving back in with their parents, has been strongly criticised by one local Limerick councillor.
25-year-old Independent Ireland councillor Tommy Hartigan deemed the video, created by the SpunOut youth organisation, “insulting” to his generation.
The Adare-Rathkeale representative underlined how far removed some public commentary has become from the lived reality of working people locked out of the housing market.
Cllr Hartigan said the video “mocks young adults still living at home” and fails to recognise the structural barriers preventing tens of thousands of people in their 20s and 30s from accessing affordable housing.
“I was dismayed and frankly taken aback by the video. It is not just tone-deaf; it is a direct insult to young people who are doing their best, often working full-time jobs, but are locked out of the housing market through no fault of their own,” he told the Limerick Post.
“The video serves as a reminder of the emotional toll the housing crisis continues to take on younger generations. For my own generation; those who were told to get educated, work hard, and contribute, to then be mocked for living at home is incredibly disheartening. The problem is not a lack of ambition. It is a lack of affordable options,” Cllr Hartigan hit out.
The first-time councillor believes that successive governments have failed to treat the issue with the urgency it requires.
“The lack of affordable housing, spiralling rents, and completely inadequate construction targets have created a situation where life milestones like moving out, starting a family, or securing a stable home are being indefinitely postponed,” he said.
“The public are tired of promises that never materialise. Politicians have repeatedly pledged solutions. But the crisis continues to worsen. People are tired of empty pledges. They deserve action, they deserve leadership, and they deserve respect.
“This crisis is not about statistics or soundbites. It is about people. We cannot build a fair society if young adults are being left behind.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has defended the video and urged people to look at it in the broader context, saying that “the big issue is to provide more housing as fast as we can and that’s what we are doing”.
“We have a specific target in mind in terms of homelessness this year, but also more broadly in terms of getting more housing built as a result of the housing plan. The challenge is 300,000 over the next five years.”
– Local Democracy Reporting Scheme