Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Under the Taoiseach's watch, the housing crisis has got worse and worse. We now have over 13,000 people living in emergency accommodation. There was an incredible story at the weekend in The Irish Timesdetailing how almost 10% of those are living on one street, Gardiner Street, in unsuitable inappropriate accommodation.

One good thing that happened under pressure from us was the tenant in situscheme which says that where tenants are faced with eviction on grounds of sale, the local authority should step in and buy the properties leaving the tenant in situ. It is a good idea in theory. It is good when it happens in practice but things are extremely slow on the ground. I have been dealing with one family who were given a date for eviction of 1 January next year at the start of May. I was in touch with the local authority. The landlord was in touch with the local authority. The local authority said that it was interested and they were discussing, and that is it. The landlord has not heard anything more. The tenant has not heard anything more. They are now there weeks from the family being made homeless. It is simply not good enough. I cannot get answers from South Dublin County Council in relation to this. Surely the Government needs to give assurance to someone like that that they will not be made homeless rather than leaving them waiting.

See this speech in context