Varadkar on tackling homelessness: There has always been 'certain number of people in emergency accommodation'
There will always be a certain number of people in emergency accommodation, the Taoiseach has said.
Responding to questions on child homelessness in the Dáil, Leo Varadkar said he would not take advice from Micheál Martin on housing and blamed Fianna Fáil for the current crisis.
"We really should not forget where we are coming from. We should not forget what happened 10 or 12 years ago on Deputy Micheál Martin's watch when he was in office.
"We had a construction boom and bust. As a result of that, the construction industry was totally destroyed and hundreds of thousands of construction workers left their jobs and had to emigrate.
"Deputy Micheál Martin is not in a position to lecture or advise anyone on housing."
The comments sparked interjections and heckling including from Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae who said: "We do not need a history lesson. He must remember he is the Taoiseach."
Mr Martin asked Mr Varadkar to provide a clear answer on when he expects to have a situation where children will no longer have to live in hotel rooms or emergency accommodation and will have access to public housing.
Mr Martin said: "When Deputy Varadkar became Taoiseach two years ago the number of children homeless was at 1,881. Today, the figure is more than double that at 3,794.
I recall the then Minister for Housing, Deputy Coveney, promising in June 2016 that child homelessness would be over by the end of that year.
"This, by any yardstick, is a litany of failure."
Responding, the Taoiseach said family hubs, while much better than hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation, are not a long-term solution.
"It is our objective to reduce the number of families experiencing homelessness, living in emergency accommodation, month on month, year on year.
But he added:
I do not believe it is possible for anyone to say there will never be anyone who has to go into emergency accommodation.
"There always have been a certain number of people in emergency accommodation for one reason another, particularly people who become homeless suddenly who were not on the housing list, but it should not be the type of figures it is now."
