Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's goodwill on this matter. However, there is a certain irony, if not an element of the perverse, in what we see happening. The Minister responded very positively in respect of the national homelessness crisis in the aftermath of the death of Jonathan Corrie outside this House. I raised the issue with him at an Estimates meeting and he responded positively, stating that his Department would take action. In fact, he made St. Bricin's hospital available to deal with the homelessness situation. Is it not extraordinary that he has moved to deal with the homelessness situation in Dublin, while at the same time, during this crisis, his Department is forcing people out of properties in the Curragh Camp and thereby contributing to the homelessness problem in Kildare, where 6,500 people are on the waiting list and 250 people are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness? He is moving people out of these houses so that the houses can be knocked down or boarded up.

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