Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Every political issue is put into perspective by our previous conversation and contributions. Focus Ireland has published its annual report on homelessness and it makes for alarming reading. The report states that rising homelessness in Ireland is not inevitable but rather it is the result of the wrong political decisions and that the crisis will only get worse this winter unless the Government acts now with urgency. The words of Focus Ireland founder, Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy, capture the heartbreaking reality of this crisis. She said:

Over 3,200 children who are homeless do not have the luxury of time. Their childhoods are being stolen as homelessness is causing young people to lose out on the safety... of a permanent home. This situation is unacceptable and must end. Much greater political leadership and commitment is urgently required... if we are to overcome the challenges our society faces in ending homelessness.

For two months in a row we have had record levels of homelessness reported. Within a month or two, unless something drastic changes we will hit and exceed the shameful milestone of an official homelessness figure of 11,000 people.

The human stories behind this figure are ones of real hardship. These include: families living in tents; children growing up in hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation and not knowing the security of a place they can call home; and households transported and displaced out of their communities because there are no emergency accommodation places left in their counties. Approximately 60 families from Dublin are in emergency accommodation in Meath and Kildare and there are a further 60 individuals from Dublin in emergency accommodation in Kildare. The Government needs to act now and with real intent. Given the scale of the challenge that exists the budget was deeply disappointing. There is no increase in social housing targets and the insufficient targets that are in place will not be met this year. There was no funding for any new initiative to prevent the dramatic rise in homelessness. Even though the majority of those forced into homelessness are coming from the private rental sector there was no ban on evictions. The truth is that without a significant change of direction in these areas we will see more families pushed into homelessness and into the nightmare of a winter without a secure roof over their heads.

In the last week, the media have reported that the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has only started to liaise with the Attorney General about the feasibility of introducing a winter ban on evictions. We saw during the pandemic that the State responded with emergency protections that safeguarded tenants. We already know it is feasible because such an eviction ban was put in place as part of Covid measures. We see that the Scottish Government has already introduced an emergency winter ban on evictions from early September. A similar eviction ban is required here and it has to be accompanied by an increase in the tenant in situscheme. Instead we hear that deliberations are at an early stage and that the Government has not yet agreed to introduce an eviction ban.

Homelessness is spiralling out of control. It is an emergency and the Government must deliver an emergency response. I urge the Taoiseach to act urgently, change direction and immediately introduce a winter ban on evictions. With better political choices the tide of homelessness and the crisis we are facing can be turned but the Government must start today.

See this speech in context