Mary Lou McDonald challenges Taoiseach on government plans to appoint ‘Housing Tsar’

Speaking at Leaders Questions today, Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD challenged the Taoiseach on government plans to appoint a ‘Housing Tsar’ on an eye-watering salary of €430,000 a year to do the work of the housing minister.

Ms McDonald described the move as “an expensive job share” and accused the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of going around in circles on housing with no new ideas or the change of direction that is so badly needed.

Leaders Questions 29.04.2025 – Full script

€430,000.

That’s the outrageous salary you propose to pay your new housing tsar.

Nearly half a million euro. An astonishing amount of taxpayers’ money for the salary of just one person.

It’s more than the Taoiseach’s generous salary, even more than even the President of the United States is paid.

It’s the starting salary of eleven new nurses, or eleven new gardaí, or thirteen new special needs assistants.

And what is the role of this new highly paid tsar?

From what we’ve heard that he will focus on;

“Removing roadblocks” to housing construction.

To get houses built more quickly.

To speed up the delivery of housing.

In other words, the main responsibilities of the housing minister. A very expensive job share. Clearly, your government has no confidence in Minister James Browne to do the job.

€430,000 is a slap in the face for working people who are hit with rip-off bill after rip-off bill, who struggle to make it to the end of the week. It’s a kick in the teeth for those saving every spare cent desperately trying to get a deposit for a house.

A kick in the teeth for every young person forced out of this country.

How do you justify this extravagant, gold-plated salary to those forced to fork out €2000 on rent every month?

To families languishing years on council waiting lists?

How do you justify it to mothers and fathers forced into homelessness, raising their children in hotel rooms or hubs?

The appointment of the housing Tsar changes nothing for them. That’s the truth.

This new cushy job is part and parcel of the same broken Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael policies that landed us in this mess.

Housing prices, rents, homelessness all continue to rise, and your government misses its inadequate housing targets year after year.

So, your next move, your next big housing idea is to appoint another bureaucrat on an eyewatering salary. It truly beggars’ belief.

We had most expensive bike shed in the world, the million-euro security hut and the €9 million phone pouches. So, people already know that your government is a serial waster of public money,

But I have to say that one really takes the biscuit.

You’ve actually gone to the trouble of making-up a job with a salary of €430,000 simply to give the appearance of government action when you’re doing nothing at all. Just going around and around in circles.

It’s the clearest admission that this government has no new ideas of substance or any real plan to fix housing.

Nuair atá Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael ag plé “Sár” a earcú chun jab an Aire Tithíochta a dhéanamh agus ceithre-céad-triocha-míle eóró a íoc leis, tá siad ag admháil go soiléir go bhfuil plean tithíochta an rialtais ina phraiseach.

You deliberately misled the electorate last November, deliberately used false housing delivery figures to take the bad look off yourself. You did that brazenly. Now you’re at it again. Spinning, bluffing, and taking the people for fools. As you spectacularly fail, you dream up this appointment.

Taoiseach, can you confirm that your new housing Tsar will be paid €430,000?

Can you tell us how on Earth you can stand over this?

Can you tell us why you’re recruiting a job-share for the housing minister?