Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)

Last weekend while the Seanad was in recess I attended a fantastic conference organised by FIDI in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was a conference of business leaders from around the world in the moving and transport industry, in which I am involved. A key concern that kept coming up was the disruptive and unpredictable nature of the US tariffs, for which the phrase "the Trumpademic" was coined. These trade measures are causing serious disruption to the global supply chain and this is making it really difficult for businesses to plan, invest and manage risk. The speed and volatility of these changes are leaving companies attending the seminar dealing with tariffs that have gone from $10,000 to $100,000 per container. This trend threatens global growth and will inevitably affect Ireland’s open economy. I ask the Government to urgently engage with all the EU and international bodies to push for stability, defend free trade and also support Irish exporters.

Other alarming statistics that came out in the last few days are the latest homelessness figures. As of March, a record 15,418 people are now experiencing emergency homeless accommodation, of whom 4,675 are children. That is an increase of 10% in the last year and an increase of 11% in the number of children. These are not just numbers but real people. These are families, young adults and elderly people who are experiencing life without the security of a home. Over 11,000 of these people are in the Dublin area. I encourage my colleagues to visit the Lighthouse homeless café on Pearse Street, as Senator O’Loughlin did recently, to see what is happening on the ground. The issue goes beyond Dublin to counties Kildare, Meath, Mayo and Galway, all of which are seeing significant pressure. The figures do not include couch-surfing or people staying in cars.

The failure to meet last year’s social housing targets means 1,500 homes were not realised. That has directly contributed to this situation. We urgently need a shift in Government priorities, including more funding for social housing, better preventative schemes and better support services, which are essential. With a new Minister in place we need a new, courageous view of how to put people before budget lines. Homelessness is preventable, but only if we act.