Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The decision to end the eviction ban just shows how out of touch the Government is with the reality of the housing crisis. What has been done is inhumane and has put unnecessary pressure on thousands of families across the State. I refer to the case of a young mother in my area and her two young children who, through no fault of their own, presented as homeless to South Dublin County Council. They were told that there was no room in emergency accommodation and that they would have to self-accommodate. There were no rooms in any of the local hotels, however. The response I got from South Dublin County Council in respect of this matter states:

There are no other options available to offer your constituent. If emergency accommodation is not available in the county or there are no vacancies in the hotel system, your constituent should present to their local Garda station for a safe place to stay.

The Tánaiste did not answer the question posed by Deputy Doherty earlier. Will he answer my question? In the context of the next mother - and there will be one because of the lifting of the eviction ban - who presents in this regard, what advice does the Tánaiste have to offer with regard to where she and her children should go?

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