Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The fact is that the housing situation continues to get worse under the Government's watch. The fact is that rents are at an all-time high and rising. The Government has missed its social and affordable housing targets for three years in a row. It is a fact that in County Laois new rents have increased by 11.4% in 12 months. In fact, it is almost impossible to enter the private rental market. Sky-high rents are placing a massive financial and mental burden on low-paid workers. There is not one single home to rent in the Portlaoise-Abbeyleix municipal district under the HAP limits. At present, there are no cost-rental projects in Laois and no sign of a scheme being developed at this point. We have no affordable-to-buy housing units. Some 30 homes are being planned but these are very much in the long term. Portarlington, Mountmellick, Graiguecullen, Mountrath and Portlaoise all need affordable housing.

The Government's refusal to intervene to prevent investment funds from pushing up house prices and snapping up family homes from under the noses of workers and families is compounding the crisis. Of the more than 13,500 people in emergency accommodation, and there are hundreds and probably thousands of other homeless people who are not in such accommodation, more than 4,000 are children. Since Fine Gael took office in 2011, homelessness has increased by 254% and child homelessness by 540%. We need to increase house targets, accelerate the delivery of social and affordable housing to buy, and expand and give priority to the tenant in situ scheme. I again appeal to the Government to reintroduce the temporary no-fault ban on evictions until there is a meaningful reduction in the number of people in emergency accommodation. These measures are sensible and achievable. We can do this, as can the Government. We can introduce these measures to house people and stop the tide of people going into homeless accommodation.

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