VIDEO: Declare homelessness a ‘national emergency’

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was urged to declare homelessness as a national emergency as people in temporary accommodation looked on from the Dáil’s public gallery.

Socialist TD Ruth Coppinger warned the Government was not taking the crisis seriously enough as she compared people affected by homelessness to the victims of the Magdalene laundries.

Calling on Mr Kenny to treat the situation as a national emergency, Ms Coppinger said: “If he does not make that simple admission, the type of emergency measures we need will never be taken. There are homeless women and men in the visitors’ gallery today who have come in hope that the leader of this country may display a modicum of urgency about the homeless nightmare into which they and thousands like them have been plunged.

“Their children are traumatised with serious physical and psychological effects, travelling miles to school from far-flung hotels and hostels and are unable to get healthy food and so on. The Taoiseach shed a tear for the Magdalenes. These are the Magdalenes of this generation and in years to come, the Taoiseach will be held to account for his action on homelessness,” she said.

Ms Coppinger said government policy was directly responsible for the plight of homeless families.

“The families that are here today would never ordinarily be homeless. In any other decade, they would be in council or affordable housing, but that has been slashed in recent years. The Government keeps telling us that it is spending more on housing than anyone ever spent before. Last week it told the Dáil €4bn was being invested. However, that €4bn is to be spent over six years. We need €4bn in one year to deal with the issue.

Amy Brennan, from Blanchardstown, has been homeless since June with her two children, aged one and two years of age

“Some 20 council homes were completed in the first quarter of 2015 and some 117 completed by housing associations. If this level of building continues for the year, we will have less than 500 social homes this year.

“In 1975, the last housing emergency, some 8,794 local authority homes were built. Why, therefore, in the middle of a housing crisis did the Taoiseach see fit to reduce the social housing obligation on private developers, from 20% to 10%? Why, in the middle of a housing and homeless crisis, is he allowing Nama to sell off hoards of property at a massive discount?” Ms Coppinger said.

Mr Kenny said the Government had embarked on an ambitious house building programme, but accepted the current situation was ‘not satisfactory’.

“We cannot deal with homelessness in this form or any other form until we provide more houses on the ground, block, concrete or modular homes.

“Housing men, women and their children, some in bed and breakfasts and some in hotel rooms, is not satisfactory,” Mr Kenny said.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin also accused the Taoiseach of not taking rural crime seriously enough.

Mr Kenny, however, said he wanted a plan drawn up to deal with rural crime.