Aubrey McCarthy (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for being here. Homelessness is very close to my heart. I have been involved in the homelessness sector since 2006, so I have seen it grow into a humanitarian crisis that demands immediate attention. Many people have quoted the recent figures from the Department of housing that show that more than 15,378 individuals are in emergency accommodation, including 4,653 children. These are not just numbers; they represent lives that are totally disrupted. We have children growing up in hotel rooms, families without shelter and individuals forced onto the streets, as we see every day at our Lighthouse cafe in Pearse Street.

When we break down the statistics, we see that in the past month alone, 92 adults, 50 children and 21 families were made homeless. These are serious numbers. It means that approximately 2,200 families are in emergency accommodation, which is often unsuitable and unstable. The figures are unacceptable but they are also preventable. I spoke in these Houses in 2016. We were told that homelessness would be eradicated by 2020. Today, when we get the numbers, they are treated as a tragic update on a crisis that continues to spiral out of control. Catherine Kenny, CEO of the Dublin Simon Community, said it is a national embarrassment. It certainly is that, but we need decisive action now on the root causes, of which there are several.

Some of my colleagues mentioned certain failures regarding social and affordable housing. There has been a repeated failure to meet the housing targets, which leaves thousands of families in emergency accommodation for extended periods. There is an urgent need to allocate more social housing to long-term homeless families. That strategy proved very effective during the pandemic.

We have talked about protections for tenants. Recently, we heard Dublin City Council is going to get €22 million less for the tenant in situ scheme. That is also going to exacerbate homelessness. Focus Ireland has gone on record as saying that it will place thousands more at risk of eviction. The message is clear: we need to safeguard the most vulnerable, and the current policies are not doing that.

Homelessness extends beyond just providing shelter. It has a profound social ramification on the individuals experiencing homelessness. Children in emergency accommodation struggle academically. They lack space to play or study, while families often experience health challenges, including anxiety or depression. My work with Tiglin has also found that people experiencing homelessness are more susceptible to addiction, long-term unemployment and health complications. Imagine a child growing up in a hotel without a place to study or to be able to invite friends to stay. That is the harsh reality for 4,653 children in Ireland.There are major steps we can take. We cannot see homelessness as inevitable. Viable solutions exist and they must be implemented without delay, such as increasing the housing allocation and committing to social housing for people on the long-term homeless list. We must also try to do our best to restore tenant protections, reverse any detrimental changes that will come about through the tenant in situ scheme and strengthen the no-fault eviction safeguard. As I have said in this House a few times, we must also recognise homelessness as a crisis, not just in words but also in actions.

With all the money we have Ireland stands as one of the wealthiest countries in Europe and to have 15,378 people homeless is not acceptable. We must demand immediate, effective action to address homelessness with the seriousness it deserves. Ten years from now, we will be able to look back at the fact that we solved the crisis and came together under Deputy Browne's Ministry. I have heard the different soundings he has made and am encouraged by them, so I look forward to seeing what he does on the ground.