Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Not only is the Government not getting to grips with the homelessness crisis, some of its actions and inactions are making the situation worse. The Government ignores the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of families out there who are barely getting by and who are just one rent increase or one financial emergency away from facing homelessness themselves. It was offered 1,800 vacant homes - turnkey properties - to purchase, and it only bought 400. It was told that it had to build 10,000 new social houses every year but has delivered just half that amount. It was asked to support Focus Ireland's amendment to protect tenants at risk of homelessness. With Fianna Fáil support, it voted the amendment down.

Every time the Government is given a solution to the homelessness crisis, it looks the other way. This is why the numbers of adults and children in homelessness has escalated under this Government. It explains why the Government's plan is being condemned by those on the front line. This was the Tánaiste's plan, and responsibility lies with both him and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. Is he not embarrassed? Is he not ashamed? What level of child homelessness do we need to reach in this State before the Minister's position becomes untenable?

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