Government must stop moving the goalposts on homelessness
Government must stop moving the goalposts on homelessness - The Labour Party
- 17,447 people were recorded as homeless in May, including 5,583 children
Labour housing spokesperson Deputy Conor Sheehan has said the Government cannot present a fall of 101 people in the monthly homelessness figures as progress while 17,447 people, including 5,583 children, remain without a home. Responding to the publication of the May 2026 homelessness figures, Deputy Sheehan said the slight reduction is an anomaly rather than evidence that Government housing policy is working and called for urgent action to increase housing supply, tackle rough sleeping and remove barriers facing vulnerable people seeking emergency accommodation.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“The Minister has shown this week that he has effectively given up. He openly admitted that he is no longer hoping the homelessness figures will come down. That is an extraordinary admission from the Minister responsible for housing. People experiencing homelessness deserve leadership and determination, not resignation.
“While the number of people recorded as homeless has fallen by 101 compared to April, there are still 17,447 people without a home. More than 5500 children are growing up in emergency accommodation. No Government can seriously point to a change of 101 people as evidence that the crisis is easing. Families remain trapped in hotels and hubs, children continue to spend months and years without the stability every child deserves, and far too many people have simply lost hope that this Government will ever solve the housing emergency.
“I am deeply concerned that this slight reduction may coincide with an increase in rough sleeping rather than a genuine improvement. Focus Ireland has warned that rough sleeping has increased by 11% in Dublin and by 27% in Cork. People sleeping rough are not reflected in these monthly emergency accommodation figures, so we must be extremely cautious about drawing positive conclusions from one month’s statistics while more vulnerable people are ending up on our streets.
“I am also concerned by the Housing Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, which will place additional burdens of proof on people seeking emergency accommodation and social housing. Instead of making it easier for vulnerable people to access support, the Government risks creating new obstacles. In practice, these measures are likely to disproportionately affect already marginalised communities, including Travellers and Roma families, making it even harder for those most in need to secure the assistance they are entitled to.
“Government must stop managing headlines and start solving the housing emergency. Labour has consistently argued for a major increase in the delivery of genuinely affordable and social homes, stronger protections for renters, decisive action to end long-term homelessness and investment that matches the scale of this crisis. Every child deserves a safe and permanent home and a Government that refuses to accept these shocking figures as the new normal.”