Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister still has not given us a target date for when we will get people out of hotels. This has been going on. The Minister has mentioned many times that he will have everyone out of hotels in a certain period. That period is well past. If one takes the peak period, which was March last year, there were 815 families in hotel accommodation. There were 758 families in November. The Minister is now saying that there are currently 700 families in Dublin alone. That is an increase in the homeless figures that the Minister just announced of 329 adults and 188 children. It is absolutely scandalous that we are not making a dent. The much-vaunted fast-build housing that the Minister spoke of being able to move people into has only been delivered in Finglas, Ballymun and Drimnagh. We are far behind with that. It is now three years since we mentioned this. We were going to have nearly 500 families housed and we are nowhere near that target. That is another failed target. We heard on the radio today about the effects this is having on children who are living in hostels, bed and breakfast accommodation and hotels. Many of these are being lumbered around the city, far from their families, friends and where they are being educated. It is scandalous. The long-term effects of this on the children going through it will be massive.

See this speech in context