Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What measures are being put in place in rural areas to prevent an increase in homelessness on foot of the Government's decision to end the ban on no-fault evictions? In my county, Meath, 319 people are in emergency accommodation, including 85 families, 87 children and 130 single people. On top of this, 250 further tenancies have been issued with notices of quit. At present, there is no availability of emergency accommodation in County Meath and, therefore, people from the county are being sent to Drogheda, County Louth. I have been called by people in emergency accommodation in Drogheda who have been on the housing list in Meath for years. I have been contacting the local authorities but have made little or no progress. It is deeply depressing for me, so the Minister of State can imagine what it is like for the people I am representing.

A family who came to my office the other day have been living in their house for more than ten years. They have three kids and have been served with a notice to quit. They earn too much to qualify for the housing list but not enough to get a mortgage. They anticipate they are going to end up in emergency accommodation. Where are they going to go?

Almost all local authorities are at full capacity and no social or affordable housing is available. At the same time, there has been an underspend of €1 billion in the middle of the worst housing crisis in history. Where are people going to go?

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