Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Given the reality on the ground - the facts and figures do not lie - it is astonishing that the Minister spent ten minutes playing politics with this issue, which he calls the most pressing issue of our time, and criticising my party as if it has created and presided over record rents, record housing prices, record homelessness and has missed virtually all its targets when it comes to such a pressing issue, as he calls it.

He then spent two minutes talking about CSO statistics. A fat lot of good that will do the likes of the mother to whom I spoke today. Her daughter has additional needs, her son has a history of self-harm, she is in a difficult situation at home, and she and her two children could have to sleep in her car tonight.

Rents are not just an issue in our cities. The latest Daft data show that County Roscommon had the third highest rental increases in the State last year, with rents of more than €1,000 per month on average. The average rent in Galway is now €1,295 per month. Every day of the week we are approach by people who feel completely hopeless. There is no private rented accommodation, there is no local authority stock and there is nowhere to go. I checked the position in Ballinasloe before coming to the Chamber. There is one property - a tiny two-bedroom apartment - available in Ballinasloe, the county town of Galway, for €1,400 per month.

I have listened to many of the stories relayed to the House this evening. The Government is ruining the lives of children. They will never get their childhoods back. Shame on the Government for dithering over lifting the eviction ban, which will cause even more children to grow up in homelessness and ruin their lives as well. Shame on it.

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