Focus Ireland Founder and Life President Sr Stan Kennedy was invited to speak at a Sinn Fein event in Dublin on September 17, which reviewed the first two years of Rebuilding Ireland. This is what Sr Stan had to say.
In the first place I want to thank Sinn Fein for inviting us to reflect on the first two years of Rebuilding Ireland and for asking me to look at Pillar 1, which concerns itself with homelessness. It turns out that the event takes place in a more politically heated context than when we accepted the invitation.
For that reason I want to make clear that Focus Ireland and myself personally have no position on the question of confidence in any Minister. We respect the role and authority of every Minister nominated by the Dáil, and work with them in whatever way is possible to end the misery of homelessness. So none of the comments I will make today – and I am sure Deputy Ó Broin will respect this – should in any way be read as taking a position on the upcoming vote which is entirely the prerogative of the Dáil. But while we have no view on who should be Minister for Housing, we have strong and well informed views as to the policies that should be pursued by any Minister. And it is that question which I will now address
When we look back to review the first two years of Rebuilding Ireland a number of key features stand out.