Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No child asks to be homeless. No child deserves to be homeless. It behoves us to help in any way we can any poor child who finds himself or herself in homelessness. I am convinced that the field of education is an area in which we can work to ensure these children do not suffer any further disadvantage. It is a sad indictment of the Government that a motion of this nature needs to be brought to the floor of the Dáil. Even though six housing plans have been published, almost 4,000 children are living in emergency accommodation. I am sure this does not even reflect the true figure. The right to education is enshrined in the Constitution. This is the least any child deserves. The lack of a safe and comfortable place to call home is an obvious distraction to a child's ability to learn. This motion aims to address the matter in the absence of a credible housing plan.

A family of two adults and two children presented to my office last week. Their current home is a hotel bedroom. They have had to tolerate excessive noise late at night while enduring the cramped environs of a one-bedroom living facility. The parents advised me that their eight year old child is becoming really anxious and is falling behind dramatically in school. They are struggling to provide their children with fresh and nutritious school lunches because the lack of facilities means they have an over-reliance on convenience food. I am also helping a mother who has a special needs child. She chose the location where she currently resides because she does not drive. She wants her child to have the best start in life, given the intellectual needs of the child.

She has received notice from her landlord. With no empty houses in the locality, she will be required to move a distance away and make the long journey to and from school each day. What chance does a child have when the most basic of starts is not afforded to them? Being homeless presents enough adverse challenges, not to mind having the education process impeded also. I call on the Minister to support this motion.

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