Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

I have listened carefuly to the Taoiseach's answer and every time I raise housing or the appalling and shocking figure of 5,000 children in homelessness with him, he engages in what I may describe as classic deflection tactics. Previously when I raised the failure to sustain the tenant in situ scheme, a scheme we welcomed, the Taoiseach blamed local authorities. Now he is blaming judicial reviews. The reality is the Taoiseach and his Government has to take responsibility for what is a housing disaster and what has become shamefully a normalisation of thousands of children who are in homelessness and many more thousands who are in overcrowded accommodation, with multiple generations of families under one roof, which I see it in my own constituency. There are young adults crammed into childhood bedrooms, sometimes with their own children, because they cannot find a home to buy or rent that is affordable. The Government has to take responsibility for this. Of course we have to acknowledge where there is progress. I have just acknowledged progress with more transparency on rent rates. We welcome that.

See this speech in context