Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The response this evening to this type of pressure will be to find more bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation, which is exactly what Dublin City Council and other local authorities have been doing. Everybody knows this is not a medium-term solution for families. It is a short-term solution while more sustainable solutions are found. It is important to say that so far this year in Dublin, almost 500 families have been rehomed in permanent sustainable accommodation, and it is predicted that by the end of the year this figure will be somewhere between 800 and 900. Good outcomes are being found, but there is simply not enough of them and there is not enough temporary or emergency accommodation which is more suitable than hotel rooms. This is something we need to try to address. People need to be realistic. We cannot do this overnight. In the immediate term, hotel accommodation will continue to be used.

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