Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In January, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, claimed he was making progress in tackling the homeless crisis. He said the modest fall in the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation in December demonstrated that Rebuilding Ireland was working. Yesterday, the latest homeless figures from the Department showed a dramatic increase in adult and child homelessness. This is the second month there have been such increases. There are now almost 10,000 adults and children living in Department-funded emergency accommodation and these figures do not include rough sleepers, adults and children in Tusla-funded domestic violence shelters or refugees forced to use direct provision as emergency accommodation after having secured their right to remain.

More than 3,755 children slept in emergency accommodation last night, in hotels, bed and breakfast establishments and family hubs. In February 2016, at the time of the last general election, there were 1,881 children in emergency accommodation. Since then, and on this Government's watch, the number of homeless children has increased by 100%. In the past 12 months, child homelessness has increased by 50%. This Government created a stand-alone housing Department with a Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, launched - with great fanfare - a new housing strategy and claims over and over again that money is no object in tackling the housing and homelessness crisis. Month after month, however, the number of people - including children - without a place to call home increases. The Minister's claim that he is getting to grips with the homelessness crisis is simply not true and his position is becoming increasingly untenable.

The Tánaiste is a family man. Can he imagine his children living in emergency accommodation? I shudder to think of my children living in such conditions. Does the Tánaiste have any idea what two years of homelessness would do to their development? Research by Focus Ireland that was published last December details the physical and psychological impact on children of living in cramped and unsuitable temporary accommodation for months on end. On "Morning Ireland" earlier, the Focus Ireland founder, Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, said, "I have lost all confidence in this Government's ability to solve the crisis". She said that Rebuilding Ireland has failed and accused the Government of failing to protect tenants at risk of homelessness. Yesterday, the veteran campaigner, Fr. Peter McVerry, said that the Government's housing plans are deeply flawed. He dismissed it as a stack of press statements aimed primarily at presenting a positive picture. In a time of economic growth, people are asking why homelessness is rising so dramatically. The answer is that this Government is refusing to take the necessary steps to end the crisis.

My questions are simple. Does the Tánaiste accept that his Government is failing to tackle the homelessness crisis? Does he accept that what the Government is doing - and what it is not doing - is making matters worse? Will he outline what the Government will now do to get this crisis under control?

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