Time to end record homelessness and build public homes – O’Dea
Time to end record homelessness and build public homes – O’Dea - The Labour Party
- 12,465 people homeless in Dublin
Labour’s Ruth O’Dea in Dublin Central has called for urgent Government action following the publication of the March 2026 homeless figures, which show 17,517 people now without a home, including 5,571 children, with 12,465 people experiencing homelessness in Dublin alone. With child homelessness rising by 19%, O’Dea said the figures underline a deepening national crisis and demanded immediate action to protect renters, scale up public housing delivery, and end the flow of families into homelessness.
Ruth O’Dea said:
“These figures are a national disgrace. More than 17,500 people are now without a home, including over 5,500 children. That is a 19% increase in child homelessness. In Dublin alone, over 12,000 people are living without a secure place to call home. We know a staggering 1 in 10 of the country’s homeless population lives in Gardiner St in Dublin Central. Behind every one of these numbers is a person, a family, a child who has been failed by this Government.
“This is something people are raising again and again on the doors in Dublin Central. Families are worried about their children’s futures. Renters feel completely exposed. People are asking how this has been allowed to happen and why Government is not stepping in to stop it.
“The reality is that this crisis is not inevitable. It is the direct result of political choices. Government has chosen to rely on the private market to deliver housing and it has failed. Government has chosen not to adequately protect renters and people are paying the price. We can make different choices. We can choose to invest in public housing, to protect renters, and to build the homes people need. What is missing is the political will to act.
“We know that the majority of people entering homelessness are coming from the private rental sector. That tells us exactly where the pressure is and exactly where Government needs to act. Without stronger protections, without meaningful intervention, more and more people will continue to fall into homelessness.
“We have done this before. In previous generations, the State took responsibility and built homes at scale. That is what is needed again. We need a step change in public housing delivery, led by the State, to provide secure, affordable homes for working people and families.
“Instead, what we are seeing is a Government that is content to let this crisis deepen. We are now hurtling towards 20,000 people in homelessness. That should be a wake up call for urgent action, but there is no sense of urgency from those in power.
“This must change. Government must act now to protect renters from eviction, to invest in public housing at the scale required, and to stop the flow of families into homelessness. We cannot accept a situation where thousands of children are growing up without a home. We need urgent action, we need political will, and we need it now.”