Government “cannot hide” as release of homeless figures delayed

Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne has said that the government “cannot hide” behind its claims that work-to-rule industrial action by local authority staff is the reason why publication of the latest homelessness figures has been delayed.

The figures, typically released on the final Friday of the month, have been delayed owing to ongoing industrial action.

It was expected that the figures were likely to break the 18,000 mark.

The Department of Housing says it is not in a position to publish the monthly homelessness data as normal because it has not received returns from all the lead regional authorities.

Hearne questioned why the figures couldn’t be collected before the work to rule industrial action began.

“It is extraordinary there was no contingency plan to allow for the figures to be collated.”

“Given this Government’s appalling track record on homelessness, it’s safe to say we were not expecting any progress today on the bleak figures,” Hearne said.

The Soc Dems housing spokesperson said “the true barometer of successful housing policy is when our most vulnerable citizens are prioritised and protected by the state; clearly this has not been happening under successive Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael-led governments, with the interests of big developers and international investor funds constantly put before the needs of ordinary people.

“Seeing so many children forced into homelessness is a scandal in itself, but so too is the tragedy of older people losing their homes – an issue I am increasingly hearing about from my constituents,” the Dublin North-West TD said.

Hearne said that in one case, a 65-year-old woman was evicted and forced into emergency accommodation as there was nowhere affordable for her to rent.

Separately, another pensioner was sleeping on her sister’s couch while stuck on a waiting list for social housing.

Hearne said “there are thousands more like her in hidden homelessness who are excluded from the monthly figures.”

“The lack of an emergency response to homelessness is unforgiveable. Just 6% of homelessness expenditure goes towards preventative measures, while the government still stubbornly refuses to introduce a no-fault eviction ban,” he said.

Hearne stated “all we get is spin and half-baked measures from the Minister for Housing, who recently announced that funding for the purchase of turnkey properties by local authorities will cease at the end 2027. In the absence of any plan to ramp up the delivery of direct-build social and affordable homes by the state, this policy has the potential to make a bad situation even worse.”

“To prevent more people becoming homeless, the government also needs to reinstate previous levels of funding to local authorities for tenant-in-situ purchases to keep people in their homes,” Hearne said.

“The core of the problem is that this government does not see housing as a human right, which it proved by voting against my Bill two weeks ago,” he noted.

“Today’s delayed publication of the latest homelessness figures is further proof that the housing crisis is not a priority for this Government. The Minister for Housing must now give a precise timeline for when this data will be available as any further deferrals will not be tolerated.”