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

Every single household and family, especially families with children, who end up homeless and are evicted into homelessness through no fault of their own are being let down by the State. They are being very badly let down. They are being traumatised. I have heard the Taoiseach say most people get out of homelessness within a relatively short time, but that is not the experience I am seeing. I am seeing families and kids in homeless situations for years on end. They are often not even in their own locality. This means families having to travel from very poor-quality accommodation in the city centre to bring their kids to school in Dún Laoghaire in really impossible circumstances.

People are left in that accommodation for long periods of time. Others are traumatised by the possibility of eviction. That brings up the issue, which I would like to hear the Government give a commitment on, of our getting a report before the summer recess on what is happening with all the tenant in situ applications. I am hearing there are great delays, problems and excuses being made about why purchases to prevent homelessness are not happening. I would also like to get a detailed report from the Minister before that. I ask the Taoiseach to pay particular attention to families and children who are in long-term homelessness in emergency accommodation and who are not even in their own locality near their schools and family supports.

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