Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asked what we are doing now and what we are doing today. First, we are providing additional funding for local authorities and NGOs this year to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. Second, additional emergency accommodation is being provided so there is emergency accommodation for almost everyone who needs it, if they do need it. Of course, emergency accommodation is not a solution; it is a stopgap. Some 1,500 extra social homes are being leased this year, ahead of what was planned.

That can prevent maybe 3,000 or 4,000 people becoming homeless. The tenantin situscheme, which is really starting to work now, allows local authorities to buy the house or apartment if the landlord is selling up thus making sure the people in that house or apartment do not lose their tenancy and become homeless in the first place. Those are the things we are doing today, tomorrow and yesterday and every day until we start seeing these numbers fall again and I believe they will fall again.

See this speech in context