Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The homeless figures released before Christmas showed a shocking increase in both adult and child homelessness. They showed that there is no respite in the growing number of people becoming homeless. The reality is these figures do not reflect the true number of those who are in homelessness. These figures do not tell us how many people are couch surfing or how many rough sleepers there are. The crisis in the rental sector has led to a growing number of people being made homeless or who are in danger of becoming homeless. The exit of landlords from the rental sector and evictions from private rental accommodation increased substantially since the no-fault eviction ban ended last year.

I regularly meet people in my constituency office who have been served with eviction notices and struggle to find alternative accommodation. The Government is not delivering social housing on a scale that will alleviate the housing and homelessness crisis. There is a clear contradiction between what members of the Government say in the House and the reality on the ground. The Government's housing polices have failed and are failing. It has suggested that the bulk-buying of properties by investment funds represents a small percentage of the housing being built but a vulture fund has bought up to 125 apartments in Hampton Wood, Ballymun, while another has acquired 435 apartments at Royal Canal Park, Ashtown. These are not insignificant numbers. These bulk purchases are particularly noticeable because they are happening in areas of Dublin where additional housing is urgently needed and people are at greater risk of becoming homeless.

The Government is over-reliant on the private sector to provide housing and rental properties, and has spent huge sums on private rent subsidies and HAP, yet homeless figures keep rising to record levels. This will not change while the Government continues to pursue policies and strategies that have failed in the past and are failing now.

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