Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

At the International Women's Day protest, one of the biggest issues of concern to people was the housing crisis. We have had extensive debate about the Government's decision to lift the eviction ban. One of the features of those who are going into homelessness is how many of them are women and children and the impact that has on children. I will give the Taoiseach an example. What are people like this supposed to do? Is anything going to change? I have a constituent who is four years in emergency accommodation with her son. They have been in one room together for four years. That child, whose mental health is on the floor, has been in emergency accommodation since he was about eight and is still in the same single room with his mother at the age of 12. You can imagine how difficult that makes bringing friends around and what that does to his mental health. This woman actually works with vulnerable people in Tusla but she was knocked off the list because she is over the threshold. She has now been told she is not getting her time back because it was a little before the 14 months, which has turned out to be 13 and a half months. This is the kind of stuff people have to deal with. I just looked at an advertisement for Cherrywood, for the two-bedroom apartment she might look to live in. It is the biggest residential development in our area. Does the Taoiseach know how much those apartments are being advertised for today? The rents are €2,600 a month. What is she supposed to do? I am genuinely asking. This does not even relate to the eviction ban debate because she is in homeless accommodation. What is she supposed to do to get out of that situation?

See this speech in context