Homelessness crisis: ‘Families on streets like time of Famine’

A leading homelessness campaigner has claimed, despite a national outcry over the death of a man outside the Dáil at Christmas, entire families are facing life on the streets for the first time “since the Famine”.

Fr Peter McVerry issued the stark assessment of the crisis during a public war of wards with Environment Minister Alan Kelly over the fact 271 emergency beds introduced in December have been removed.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio after Mr Kelly said he has not heard the campaigner “say one positive thing yet in relation to anything”, Fr McVerry said the Government’s high-profile plans to effectively end homelessness by the end of 2016 have failed.