Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Tá oibrithe agus teaghlaigh ar fud an Stáit seo ag streachailt leis an ngéarchéim tithíochta. Tá géarchéim na ndaoine gan dídean ag dul in olcas. Tá an ghéarchéim chomh scaipthe anois go bhfuil sí ag cur isteach ar chúram sláinte, ar oideachas agus ar an ngeilleagar. There is not a single community, nor a single sphere of our society, which is untouched by the housing crisis. This housing and homelessness crisis is getting worse. It is hampering our health system, our education system and our entire economy.

Yet, the quality of debate surrounding the lifting of the temporary, no-fault eviction ban was deeply frustrating. For months prior to its lifting, we in the Opposition asked what the Government would do to introduce emergency measures to protect renters from homelessness once the ban was lifted and, for months, it insisted a plan was in train. The week the ban was lifted, we saw a series of half-baked, hastily launched plans. For some of them, including the first-refusal scheme, we are still in the dark about how they will work or when they will come into effect. All the while, the housing crisis was getting worse.

This is the second-last week before the Houses will rise for the summer. It is as good a time as any, in fact it is a vital time, for the Government to show a little humility and to change tack on housing policy. News broke on Friday last that 12,441 people are now recorded as homeless, which is an increase of 182 people in one month alone. We know that these numbers understate the true scale of the problem as they only record those in State-resourced emergency accommodation. Having one person in homelessness is clearly one too many, but to see the numbers of homeless people rising every month under this Administration in 2023, when the Government is running budget surpluses, is appalling.

The effects of insecure housing on families, in particular, are severe and long lasting. We know from these figures there are 3,699 children in homelessness. They are being deprived of the safety and security which they and their parents should be able to take for granted in Ireland in 2023. That is why it is so frustrating to hear so little support from the Government benches for constructive proposals from the Opposition, such as the Labour Party’s homeless families Bill, supported by Focus Ireland, which would ensure the rights of children are prioritised when a family is facing the prospect of losing their home. There has been a similar lack of support from the Government for measures we also proposed, such as our evidence basis for lifting the eviction ban.

In October 2022, the Minister of State said the ban would provide a respite to the Government to address core issues and take up measures, such as emergency beds and tackling vacancy. The Taoiseach took office in December promising to prioritise homelessness, yet the Government is failing the nearly 12,500 people now in homelessness. Does the Taoiseach accept that in the summer economic statement to be published this afternoon, the Government will have to do more for those currently in homelessness and those families facing that awful precipice of losing their home?

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