Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of homelessness with the Tánaiste by telling her about Áine. She is an 18-year-old young woman and on Tuesday of this week, she presented as homeless to her local council, together with her partner and their four-month-old infant daughter. The council refused to accept she genuinely was in need of emergency accommodation and she was turned away. At 4.30 p.m. that afternoon, she rang the freefone number but no emergency accommodation was available. At 9 p.m. that evening, she again rang only to be told there still was no emergency accommodation. Eventually, at 12.30 a.m., while standing outside Heuston Station shivering and holding her infant child, she was collected by the rough sleepers team and brought to a hostel. Áine's family is just one of ten families turned away from local authorities on that Tuesday, only to be accommodated later through the rough sleepers team. The last of the families was not accommodated until 1.30 a.m. Yesterday, Áine returned to her local council, only to be turned away again. She eventually was accommodated through the freefone service at 8 p.m. As I speak, this young woman yet again is on her way back to her local authority not knowing where she and her family will sleep tonight. The reason families are being turned away from the local authorities is because there is not enough emergency accommodation and staff members in local authorities are being asked to make an impossible choice between families, that is, between those who will have a bed and those who are sent back out onto the street. I could read out the statistics and the Tánaiste will be aware that homelessness is out of control. She will be aware that on her Government's watch, homelessness has increased by 86% in a single year. Does the Tánaiste accept that the Government's response to the family homelessness crisis to date has failed? Does she believe it is acceptable for a family to be turned away, as was Áine with her infant child, and to be left out onto the streets until the early hours of the morning? What will the Government do today, tonight, this week and this month to address the challenge faced by Áine and others? Finally, will the Tánaiste commit to publishing the Government's housing action plan and to scheduling a full Dáil debate on it before Members rise for the summer?

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