Harney must go as HSE blocks funding for new homeless services

Issued : Wednesday 27 February, 2008

Labour Youth have today called for Minister for Health Mary Harney to resign following revelations from the Dublin Simon Community no funding will be provided to new homeless services this year.

Speaking on the issue Labour Youth Chairperson Enda Duffy said "It is an outrage and a disgrace that Minister Harney is refusing to take any responsibility for the Thatcherite practices of the HSE".

"It is bad enough that the board of the HSE is stuffed with corporate executives entirely out of touch with the lives of ordinary people but the revelation that no development funding will be provided for new homeless services this year shows this year shows the callous attitude of the HSE Board and Minister Harney to the most marginalised groups in society".

"This government clearly has no commitment to ending homelessness by 2010 to which both Fianna Fail and the Greens signed up to prior to the General Election.

"Labour Youth believes that it is high time there was a change in priorities within housing policy. There is a need to provide a minimum of 10,000 new social housing units this year and legislation should be brought forward to give all citizens a legal right to housing which is the case already in many EU countries".

ENDS