Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty was accused of ‘strategic interruption’ in the Dáil today following an exchange with the Tánaiste.

It happened after Deputy Doherty questioned Micheál Martin on his past commitments to build 50,000 homes a year at prices less than €250,000.

In response, the Tánaiste noted that a record number of commencements had begun this year and that there are now 550 first-time buyers every week in Ireland.

Throughout his response, Deputy Doherty repeatedly asked, “Where are the 50,000 homes”.

Mr Martin said “Most people like a melody,” but with Deputy Doherty “it’s cacophony all the way”.

“It’s all shouting and noise as if the decibel levels reveal the righteousness,” he said.

'Strategic interruption and heckling'

The heckling prompted Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl to threaten to suspend the house.

“I know we’re at a certain point in the electoral cycle where people are getting excited,” he said.

“The public are looking at this and they expect the debate here to be conducted in an orderly way.

“Strategic interruption and heckling is no way to conduct an orderly debate.

You [Deputy Doherty] are the arch-strategic – you know very well what you’re doing and you’re strategically heckling, constantly.

“The next time this occurs, I’m going to suspend the house.”

Pearse Doherty in the Dail today. Image: Oireachtas

Earlier on in the exchange, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that Sinn Féin had voted against a number of schemes that have improved housing.

“You have said you’d remove the Help to Buy Scheme, you voted against the First Home Scheme, you voted against the capital refurbishment grants in terms of vacancy and dereliction,” he said.

“The net outcome of that, in terms of your policies, would be a substantial and significant increase in the price of houses for first-time buyers.

“Theres 550 now a week buying a house for the first time and your policies would take away the supports we put in place for first-time buyers that enable them to buy houses at unprecedented rates.”

Doherty: 'Where are they?'

Deputy Doherty said the Tánaiste needed to “open his eyes” as house prices have been on the increase for 10 consecutive months.

“You said if you got into Government, you would deliver €50,000 affordable houses at prices for less than €250,000 – I ask you where are they?

“Nobody can find them anywhere, they’re not in Cork, Donegal or Dublin – you haven’t delivered the houses and your policies are pushing up house prices.

“How do we know? The CSO is telling us.

“You’re locking an entire generation from home ownership and you’re locking people into sky-high rents and the vulture funds and investors are sweeping up those houses and renting them out at astronomical prices.”

There were 32,695 homes constructed in Ireland last year.

Main image: Pearse Doherty in the Dail today. Image: Oireachtas