Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, has been in office for a year and on every single indicator his plan is failing. Homelessness for adults, children and families is up 20% and homelessness has increased every month since he has taken office. We have seen continual increases in rent and in terms of supply the snail's pace of social housing delivery and private home delivery is there for all to see, despite the fact the Minister continues to put inaccurate figures into the public domain. He is targeting just 3% of the 183,000 vacant homes, which is only approximately 1,000 homes a year for every year of the plan. It is no wonder the Minister is hiding this week. He has not been in the House for Questions on Promised Legislation. He is not here for the Topical Issue debate. I have great sympathy for the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, who has been asked to stand here in his place. Clearly, she can only read out the statement she has been given. I am not surprised the Minister does not have the guts to come into this Chamber at any stage where he could be questioned by the Opposition this week because he knows his plan is failing and nothing in the note the Minister of State has given us today suggests otherwise.

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