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

The latest homeless figures have just been published on the website of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. It is the single largest increase in homelessness since the Government took office. We now have more than 9,000 adults and children living in emergency accommodation. Adult homelessness is up by 329 on last month. Child homelessness is up by 188 and family homelessness is up by 109. We have just had a conversation about the cold spell. We are also seeing an increase in rough sleepers and there is real concern that we may see further deaths on the streets. What will the Government do on foot of those figures, that it has not been doing since taking office, finally to start to tackle the housing crisis, the homelessness crisis and in particular the child homelessness crisis? Tonight, 3,267 children will sleep in emergency accommodation because the Government's policies are failing. What will the Government do to address that?

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