Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

It is not purely a city centre issue because it affects other areas of desirability. I am not minimising it. I get irritated because I think it is raised as an issue far too frequently. I think that, in general, the use of accommodation to make money in life is awful. I would be in a minority in this Dáil in that regard. Most Deputies are in favour of such activity. I would not be in favour Airbnb at all. I think we should move on because there is really nothing to see here. Key areas of homelessness have been identified in Dublin based on the addresses of people who are staying in emergency accommodation. I am sure the witnesses from Focus Ireland and the other groups will know that these people tend to come from particular areas. There seems to be a huge problem in north-west Dublin. It is not about Airbnb; it is about a lack of affordable public housing. A year on from the special Committee on Housing and Homelessness, which many of us spent time on, nothing has changed. The situation has got worse in the sense that more people are now registered as homeless. I think this is an ideological question. A complete and utter change of policy is needed. We should bring the new Minister before this committee.