Damien Dempsey slammed the Government for not providing enough public housing claiming ‘they are pushing families out on the streets’.
Speaking at the Custom House in Dublin to voice his support for the Raise the Roof Housing Rally in Dublin on Saturday, the singer labelled the crisis as ‘scandalous’.
Joining a list of leading artists and entertainers, including Dublin Oldschool star Emmet Kirwan, he said: “I think it is scandalous that in this day in age that there are 4,000 people homeless.
“We’re a very rich country.
“In the 1930s to the 1980s the Government were building lots and lots of public housing for people and the country was nearly broke in them years.
Raise the Roof campaigners demanding urgent action on housing crisis in Dublin
“Now they’re saying that they do have the money… it’s a lie. It’s a laissez-faire attitude , the same as they had in the famine. It is scandalous.
“Local authorities need to build more public housing.
“There is a massive amount of housing going on where I live in Donaghmede but none of them are public housing.
“People can afford a house so they are pushing them out onto the streets with their children. it’s very hard on their children. Families are doubling up on houses and they’re in hotels so there is no way for a child to live their youth.
The singer added that he feels the housing crisis is pushing artists and Irish talent out of the country because they can’t afford to stay here.
Dublin traffic at standstill as thousands of Raise the Roof housing protesters march outside Dail
He said: “I go to Berlin and there is a lot of community artists over there who were all pushed out of Ireland who couldn’t afford to live there.”
The launch at the Custom House featured fellow musicians Frances Black and Paddy Casey, as well as writer Grace Dyas.
The Raise the Roof Rally for Housing takes place in Dublin on Saturday, May 18, assembling at Parnell Square, Dublin @ 1pm.
