Opposition TDs call for young people to hit the streets on housing in 'Raise the Roof' protest

TDS FROM SINN Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, the Green Party and People Before Profit have urged the public to take part in a housing protest outside Leinster House later today.

The Raise the Roof protest will kick off at 6pm ahead of a private members’ motion on homelessness from Sinn Féin later in the evening. 

The Sinn Féin motion, backed by other opposition parties, is calling on the Government to take emergency action to alleviate the housing crisis and to dramatically increase investment in public housing.

Speaking on the plinth yesterday ahead of the protest, the Labour Party’s housing spokesperson TD Conor Sheehan particularly urged young people and renters to join today’s protest.

Sheehan accused the Government of “gaslighting” renters and argued that the overhaul of rental regulation announced last week by the Government will “throw renters under the bus”. 

“It will particularly negatively affect people my age. I’m in that 25 to 39 year [old] bracket, most of my friends are either living at home with their parents or they’ve been forced to emigrate,” Sheehan said. 

Speaking ahead of Sheehan, the Social Democrats’ housing spokesperson TD Rory Hearne said the measures proposed by the Government last week will further reduce homeownership. 

“The Government is justifying the increase in rents to incentivise the supply of housing, and this is only going to make the housing disaster worse, and that’s why we have come together to bring this motion,” he said. 

Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, Labour, the Greens and PBP are calling on young people in particular to join tomorrow’s housing protest outside the Dáil at 6pm.

Labour’s Conor Sheehan says this government does not care about renters and is “gaslighting” them with supposed fixes. pic.twitter.com/t9wVWk8s5V

— Jane Matthews (@janeematthews) June 16, 2025

The TDs also questioned where the emergency legislation promised by Housing Minister James Browne and Tánaiste Simon Harris is in relation to extending the Rent Pressure Zones across the country. 

Last week, Harris said publicly that emergency legislation will be put in place this week, however, no time has been set aside on the Dáil schedule to facilitate a debate on the matter.

Why a Tuesday? 

Asked if it would be more impactful to organise the protest on a weekend, when people impacted by the housing crisis all over the country may be better placed to participate, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said today’s event is just the first in a series. 

“There’s also a Saturday rally in Cork, not just for the good people of Cork, but for people from Munster, and some of us will be travelling down from Dublin as well,” he said.

He added that Raise the Roof and its affiliate organisations will be meeting later this month to map out a programme of activities, “which will include a lot more opportunities for everybody to protest.”