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

The Minister has his head buried deep in the sand. Last year, by his own admission, he missed his social housing targets by 1,500 units. He has underperformed on his target of 9,000. Interestingly, he has not told us anything about affordable housing. As we know, in his own constituency, the properties in Dun Emer have not yet been purchased and with both cost-rental and affordable purchase, he is way behind target but none of that answers the question.

In four weeks' time, because of a decision the Minister has made, hundreds if not thousands of notices to quit will fall due. There is a cliff edge in April. It will then extend to May and June. I am talking to people on the front line in homelessness services and they are telling me that there is no plan for April. My specific question is not what the Minister is going to do in six months or 12 months but what is going to happen in our local authorities and emergency front-line services when the hundreds if not thousands of single people, couples, families with children and pensioners present for emergency accommodation and there is none because of the absence of a contingency plan?

See this speech in context