Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The humane and compassionate response from the Government should be at the very least to give accurate, reliable statistics. I plead with the Government to stop the spin and tackle this crisis once and for all. Start building.

Agus muid ag smaoineamh ar choinneal a lasadh san fhuinneog ar Oíche Nollag na bliana 2017 is scannalach an rud é go bhfuil 3,000 páiste ag fanacht in ostáin. Mar mhúinteoir, mar mháthair agus mar Theachta Dála, táim an-bhuartha faoi thodhchaí agus meabhairshláinte na bpáistí seo. Ní mór cur le chéile ar bhonn tras-pháirtí agus brú a chur ar an Rialtas níos mó a dhéanamh ar son páisti uilig an náisiúin. Caithfear níos mó infheistíocht, am agus airgead a thabhairt ar an gceist seo go práinneach.

How many children must be homeless for this Government to recognise that this is an unprecedented emergency? The Government lacks vision and strategic planning when it comes to the scale of the housing and homelessness crisis, which severely affects the most vulnerable in our society. The homelessness issue is complex and there is a large number of variables and perspectives that the Government needs to take into account to tackle it. However, it is absolutely unacceptable that we have seen a lack of real action and continuity of spin from the Government. It is not right on any level. How can it be right for the 3,000 children without a home this Christmas? The most basic human rights of the children of our country must be guaranteed as a matter of absolute priority.

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