Homelessness is now seen as an almost inevitable problem

Normalisation lowers our empathy, lowers expectations of government action, and allows inadequate systems to persist, writes Paul Hosford

COMFORT AND JOY: Even the most modest of Christmas festivities that we should all be able to enjoy are beyond many families in Ireland due to homelessness. Picture: iStock

It was 2012 when the first mention of the current housing and homelessness crisis first came to the Dáil.

During a session on promised legislation, Sinn Féin TD Sandra McLellan asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny what he would do about concerns raised by the Simon Community over the rising numbers of rough sleepers.