Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to believe what I am hearing and I know the Minister of State spoke with great honesty, but as a long-time Deputy, I have seen too much evidence to suggest the Minister and Minister of State, other Deputies and, more important, the homeless people we represent will be disappointed. I ask the Minister to have a further re-evaluation of this issue done with a view to identifying the number of people becoming homeless daily. While family hubs and similar initiatives are a help, they are emergency measures which do not solve the problem. Children, families and older people are in the worst possible position. Despite having worked hard for a long time to address this issue, I believe the problem will get worse. I know that is not the intention. Direct build and rapid build projects must begin now, not in six months or one year.

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