Mary Lou’s solution to housing is nothing short of fantasy economics – O’Donnell

The main opposition party must have a secret stash of billions of euros and an endless supply of resources in which to build over 100,000 social homes, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Limerick TD Kieran O’Donnell said, “It was completely jarring to hear Deputy Mary Lou McDonald on the Late Late Show say how she sees no problem with the State directly building and funding 100,000 social houses over a span of five years.

“Sinn Féin’s reckless plans to impose rent and price controls, ban external and internal investment funds completely disregards sensible economic planning. In reality, Sinn Féin consistently object to housing projects so they’d be the first obstacle to their own uncosted proposals.

“The Sinn Féin leader’s striking and aloof response that money or resources are ‘not the issue’ is not grounded in reality.

“However, as we saw from Sinn Féin’s disappearing Budget from their website and comments this week from Pearse Doherty who doesn’t even know how a litre of milk is priced, it is clear Sinn Féin haven’t a clue how to manage and safeguard an economy and will absolutely wreck our financial future.

“Sinn Féin are yet again putting forward unworkable and uncosted policies that would lead to the financial and economic destruction of this country if they were imposed.

“Deputy McDonald’s party would crash the country and destroy our competitive, consistent, and transparent corporate tax regime and foreign direct investment (FDI). Undoubtedly, we’d witness firms leaving Ireland, along with the jobs and opportunities they generate. Trade would plummet.

“Sinn Féin cannot be trusted. They are a high tax, anti-jobs party who would wreck the economy if given the chance. Fine Gael will never go into Government with Sinn Féin – they are incompatible.

“Whatever happens, Fine Gael will work hard to ensure our economy stays strong, so we have resources to help with the cost of living, vital public services, and public infrastructure like housing.”

Deputy O’Donnell said that while Mary Lou rightly defends her family and privacy, “it would be great if Sinn Féin were to apologise to those they have wrongly castigated over the years, sometimes under Dáil privilege”.

“We have seen a lack of respect for the Courts, in particular the Special Criminal Courts which they have never supported. In Limerick, we know how important the Special Criminal Court is in dealing with terrorists and gangland criminals,” the Fine Gael TD added.