Reports shows emergency accommodation not suitable for children

Responding to today’s RTÉ report on complaints made to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive about conditions in emergency accommodation, Labour Housing spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan TD, said:

“This report, with some of the unacceptable conditions that have been described, highlights just how unsuitable emergency accommodation, such as hostels or hotels, is for children and families on a long-term basis.

“One woman described the impact that living in emergency accommodation for nearly two years was having on her five-year old’s mental health, with reports of glasses being left in a children’s play area and hotel entertainment keeping them up at night. Concerns too were raised about drug taking in these facilities and incidences of violence.

“The reality is that hotels and hostels are simply not suitable for children.

“This is something the Government itself acknowledged in Rebuilding Ireland, when it pledged to ‘move the existing group of families out of these hotel arrangements as quickly as possible and, by mid-2017 hotels will only be used as emergency accommodation in exceptional circumstances’. The Minister must not lose sight of this commitment in 2018.

“The Labour Party is pushing to ensure the needs of children are taken into account when decisions are made regarding families in homeless situations with our Homeless Families Bill, which is currently going through the Dáil. It is a vital piece of legislation that needs to be progressed as quickly as possible.”