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

The slowdown in the number of families presenting in the last month is seasonal. Exactly the same thing happened last year and the year before, so that is not a sign of progress. The second problem is that the number of exits from homelessness the Tánaiste mentioned is incorrect. At least half of those families were never in emergency accommodation in the first place. Talking to the Department and the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, it is clear that the number of families leaving emergency accommodation is approximately half the figure the Tánaiste has quoted. He is correct to say that funding for emergency services has increased dramatically. That is a sign of failure, not success. How much more time does this Government need? How many more children have to end up in emergency accommodation before the Government accepts that its plan is failing?

Focus Ireland has made four clear demands. It would not have made those demands if the Government was already acting on the issues it raises. Perhaps the Tánaiste will answer the question.

Will the Tánaiste commit to those four specific demands now? On the fifth question which the Tánaiste did not answer, will he support the Focus Ireland amendment, when we bring it forward on Second Stage, to ensure no family is evicted into homelessness by a landlord who benefitted from a tax break when they bought their buy-to-let mortgage at the height of the boom?

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