Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are 7,000 people and families on the housing list in Cork city. In the month of April, the most recent report I have, 35 families and individuals were housed. That means it will take 16 years to clear the waiting list in Cork. To make matters worse, in the same month, 131 families and individuals came onto the list, which means that for every social house that was allocated, four more families came onto the list. This is a catastrophe. The social housing crisis will not be solved. Every week I come in here, the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and other Ministers talk about the great work they are doing. They should explain that to the people of Cork who have been on housing waiting lists for years. This is destroying the lives of children in emergency and temporary accommodation. Where is the support and the hope for them? In years to come, we will ask why we have so many problems with children's mental health, and one of the reasons will be this Government's failure of children when it came to housing.

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