Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We all have similar friends. When we bring the issue down to the personal level it shows that this counts. I have one specific question for the Minister of State. Why is it only in mid-December that those additional 200 units come into place? Given that we know the scale of the numbers has risen and that the cold weather comes in mid-November, why do these additional units not kick in until mid-December, which is very late? The units are welcome, but they are being put in place too late. I understand that all the places were full this week. We did not have the capacity we needed.

The level and scale of this crisis has been clear for many years. Why do we say every year that we are getting there? We always seem to be saying that the facilities are opening next week or the week after. We ran into planning difficulties in the Liberties last year. Why do we not have these facilities in place from mid-October or the end of October? We know it is going to be cold from mid-November onwards. Why does it take so long to get these units in place?

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