Minister missing in action as child homelessness rises again
Minister missing in action as child homelessness rises again - The Labour Party
Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD has called on the Minister for Housing to immediately publish the overdue Child and Family Homeless Plan, as new figures show 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation in July, including 5,659 children.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Another month, another appalling set of homelessness figures, and still the Minister for Housing has no plan to show for it. There are now 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation, including 5,659 children.
“Behind that staggering figure are children doing their homework in hotel rooms, families living out of suitcases and parents who have no idea when they will have a secure home again. The Minister promised a specific Child and Family Homeless Plan. It was due in June. We are now at the end of August, child homelessness remains at devastating levels, and there is still no plan.
“The Dáil was brought back for an emergency one-day sitting to deal with rising fuel prices. Yet when it comes to more than 5,600 children without a home, we see nowhere near the same sense of urgency. Families experiencing homelessness deserve that same urgency from the Minister.
“He cannot announce a plan, miss his own deadline and then go silent while thousands of children remain trapped in emergency accommodation. Families deserve to know what he is actually going to do to get them into secure homes.
“The Labour Party has consistently argued that we need to tackle both sides of this crisis. We must prevent more people losing their homes by strengthening renters’ rights, while urgently increasing the supply of social and affordable housing. We also need proper supports for children already experiencing homelessness and limits on how long families can remain in emergency accommodation.
“The Minister needs to explain why his Child and Family Homeless Plan is now two months overdue and publish it immediately. Every month he delays is another month of childhood spent in emergency accommodation. He needs to stop dragging his feet and show the same urgency on homelessness that we have seen on other national emergencies.”