Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Críona Ní Dhálaigh has described the capital programme for housing in Dublin City just published by the City Manager as "pathetic".

She said the plan exposes the failure of the Housing Minister Jan O'Sullivan and the Government to fund local authorities, especially in Dublin, to address the housing crisis.

Councillor Ní Dhálaigh said: "The Capital Programme for Dublin City Council for 2014 to 2016 provides for only 422 additional housing units up to the end of 2016. In the face of a massive housing crisis in our capital city this can only be described as pathetic.

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"With over 17,000 family units on the housing list in Dublin and with growing numbers being forced into emergency accommodation, this plan is a recipe for actually deepening the crisis.

"There has been a ten-fold increase since 2012 in the spending by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive on emergency accommodation for homeless families. Growing numbers are being forced into homelessness by rising rents in the private sector and by the restrictions on Rent Supplement.

"Yet capital spending on housing in Dublin City is to be reduced from €123 million in 2014 to €70 million in 2016."

(CD/JP)