New housing authority needed to tackle homeless crisis

A new Housing Authority is needed to tackle the escalating homelessness crisis in Ireland before the issue intensifies this winter, the opposition claims.

Fianna Fáil housing spokesman Barry Cowen called for the quango to be set up for a tight three-year period as leading homeless prevention groups said they remain optimistic Government continues to see the emergency as a priority.

Speaking in the latest housing committee meeting on Thursday, the opposition frontbench TD said despite repeated focus on the issue since 2014 little progress is being made to reduce the number of people at risk of losing their homes.