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

The truth is any time a temporary measure is introduced, there comes a point where that measure has to end. There is then a snapback, bounce-back or an effect where numbers rise. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, made it very clear, on the week he proposed we have a temporary eviction ban, that there would be an uptick once it was lifted.

That is inevitable and is one of the problems, of course. We had a short-term ban, which did not reduce the numbers in emergency accommodation, and the inevitable happened when it was lifted. It does not work in the medium or long term and barely works in the short term. That is what we have learned from the second eviction ban. For the first one, the circumstances were different. Pandemic restrictions were in place and that is what actually reduced the numbers then, rather than the ban being in place.

I agree with the Deputy on one thing, which is that the best thing we can do is prevent people from ending up in homelessness in the first place. That is why we are going to power and repower the tenant in situscheme to make sure it works. That is why we are continuing to build more social housing and are funding local authorities and NGOs to engage with people in order that they know their rights and we can prevent them becoming homeless in the first place.

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