Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last year, the Parliamentary Budget Office published data on the number of households eligible for but not yet in receipt of social housing in my constituency of Offaly. The Parliamentary Budget Office analysis was based on what it would have cost to house the number of households on the social housing waiting lists, plus the households in receipt of the housing assistance payment. The cost for County Offaly and for the county council list was put at €338 million overall. That figure really sums up all of this. It sums up the acute emergency that we have because the cost is staggering.

We have an immigration crisis that is overwhelming our accommodation capacity. I have tabled a number of parliamentary questions to the Minister's Department in the past week on this very issue. Unfortunately, the responses I have received so far are less than encouraging. If we cannot meet supply, we must cut demand. That means effectively closing our borders and our services to tens of thousands who are here and who are expected to arrive here without any legal right to be here, but who still claim accommodation. I wonder where Sinn Féin lies on that issue. They have been mouthing here all day and calling us all sorts of names. I will tell you one thing. Sinn Féin tried pushing me around before when I was in their damn party and they will not get away with it. I will make it very clear.

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