Calls for housing chief to step down

Housing Agency chairman Conor Skehan is facing fresh calls to resign immediately after defending his claims some homeless people are “gaming the system” and that record Irish homeless rates are “normal” by international standards.

Opposition parties and campaign groups repeated their calls for Mr Skehan to step down immediately instead of his due departure in the coming months after he attended a divisive Oireachtas housing committee meeting about his remarks.

In a detailed interview in late December, Mr Skehan said some people may be “gaming the system” by pretending to be homeless in order to receive a local authority home quicker, and said the homelessness situation is “normal” when compared to other countries.