Offaly TD sorry if sweets for children 'analogy' was offensive

BARRY Cowen TD has apologised if anyone was offended by a remark he made in the Dail on Wednesday during the debate on confidence in the Government.

Deputy Cowen told RTE's Claire Byrne that he did not intend to offend anybody when he said keeping or extending the eviction ban would be “like making sweets free for children”.

“It's fine for a little while but ultimately detrimental to the greater need,” the Fianna Fail TD told the Dail.

The Offaly TD was criticised by other deputies, including Cian O'Callaghan, Social Democrats, and Aodhan O Riordain, Labour Party.

Deputy Cowen told Today with Claire Byrne on RTE Radio One: “What I said was just an analogy in an effort to get the message across that short term solutions don't always work in the long term. I could, for example, have said that clearing the clutter by putting it in the cupboard doesn't address it in the long term, I could have said that papering over the cracks doesn't fix the wall long term.”

He added that he had four children himself. “I wouldn't say anything derogatory about children. I'm sorry if people were offended by what was said, it certainly wasn't my intention. My intention was to focus on issues, solutions that are available, that have been made available, that need to be concentrated on, and the fact that extending the ban was creating this impression among many members of the public that existing notices to quit that will come into effect in the coming months will somehow be magicked away. That's not the case either and the opposition know that.”

Pressed by the radio presenter on whether or not he knew that comparing sweets for children to people who are losing their homes would be offensive, Deputy Cowen said: “People find that offensive, I'm apologising if that is the case. I personally as a said didn't set out to offend anybody. As I said to you, I've four children myself. I love my children, I love all children for God's sake.”

He denied lacking compassion or and understanding of the stress people are under and he repeated a statement he made in the Dail that he had 20 representations in Offaly from people fearing eviction.

“I represent the constituency of Laois-Offaly. I've clinics in Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry every week. I meet and live with people who are impacted by this. I've just told you I've about 20 cases where people are facing the horrible vista of not knowing if there's a solution to their issue when a notice to quit is acted upon.”

The Clara-based TD also referred to his comments in the Dail about the Government's instructions to councils to purchase properties where eviction notices had been issue and where tenants were in situ, regardless of whether or not they are on the social housing list.

He listed locations across Offaly where houses are being built.

“What I want to do is ensure that people realise that progress is being made, more progress can be made. I couldn't say three years ago that there was houses under construction in Edenderry, Daingean, Tullamore, Mucklagh, Clara, Ballycumber, Belmont, Banagher and Birr. But I can say it now because of the work and effort we're making as representatives within a Government party to ensure that progress is being made.”

He added that funding is being made available to local authorities for house purchases and said his “whole focus and emphasis” in his Dail speech was to implore Dail members to ensure those facing eviction were aware of the potential resolution.

The Government was aiming to come up with a long term solution, he stressed, unlike the opposition.

“A short term solution from their perspective was to bring this Government down, to have an election and take six months to put a Government in place to bring forward solutions again. Shure that's going around in circles.”

He also pointed to the Government's record on housing provision.

“This Government is providing record funding towards social housing, has brought in initiatives of cost rental schemes where there was none, affordable schemes where there was none, help to buy schemes of €30,000 to help with deposits, renovation of derelict and void homes up to the tune of €50,000. We're spending twice as much as any other country in the EU in relation to social housing.”

Ms Byrne reminded the TD that in 2015 he said it was a “scandal” that 700 families were homeless across Ireland, including 1,500 children; compared to today when the equivalent figures are 1,600 families and 3,431 children.

“And we've had Covid in the meantime, we've had a cost of living crisis,” replied Deputy Cowen.

The TD also said an amended Planning and Development Bill, which would address planning logjams, will be before the Dail in the coming weeks.

He has been calling for statutory timelines for Bord Pleanala decisions and said it can take five years for the board to rule on an appeal while a house could be built in 25 weeks.

“It's always a scandal when there are children and homelessness of those figures being mentioned in our country. But it's not a scandal that we're spending twice as much as any other EU country. It's not a scandal that this Government has brought in initiatives and schemes where there was none in relation to cost rental, in relation to affordable schemes, in relation to void units being helped and assisted to be brought back into use.”