Pringle: Government housing policies continue to fail families and children
- Updated: 2nd September 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said the latest figures on homelessness show that Government housing policies continue to fail families and children.
Deputy Pringle said: “We saw the number of homeless people reach another terrible record on Friday. Department of Housing Figures show that there are now 14,429 people in homelessness in this country, including more than 4,000 children in more than 2,000 families. This is a 12.3% increase in the 12 months from July 2023 to July of this year.
“The figures showed 55 people homeless in Donegal in July of this year and 24 families homeless in the northwest.
“Focus Ireland said that almost half of homeless families had been homeless for more than a year, with more than 400 of those families homeless for more than two years.
“That’s a terrible indictment on this Government and the choices they have made.
“Thousands of children are going back to school from emergency accommodation. This summer, The Irish Times reported that the health service is unprepared for the worsening impact of homelessness on children. Homelessness has an impact across people’s lives.
“It is clear that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will continue to rely on their mantra, ‘the market will provide’. We have seen that is not the case.
“We need a far more ambitious housing plan, with full and proper investment in providing affordable homes for everyone. This Government’s reliance on such subsidies as Help to Buy and First Home schemes only maintains high prices. A referendum to introduce the right to housing in Bunreacht na hÉireann is long overdue, to ensure that home and shelter take precedence over profits.
“What will it take for this Government to accept that its Housing for All strategy has not worked and is not working? Government must make proper investment in social housing a priority in Budget 2025,” Deputy Pringle said.
