Rachel Cunningham
Labour Party leader and housing spokesperson Ivana Bacik has condemned the Irish government for allowing over 3,829 children to be living in emergency accommodation.
“This government’s failure to tackle the scourge of homelessness and the housing crisis will go down in the history books,” said Deputy Bacik
“It’s devastating to see an increase of 64 children living in emergency accommodation in July.
“As families prepare to return to schools, many are now facing the unbelievable prospect of doing their homework on a hotel room floor, trying to wash clothes in a bathroom sink and having nowhere to prepare school lunches.
“Many face long commutes to attend their school from the emergency accommodation they are stay in, while others are now taking up places in new schools, facing the prospects of having to make new friends, get to know new teachers.”
The leader called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to remember his promise to make tackling the housing crisis his priority.
“Either he has forgotten this pledge or the plans aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. We need to see radical change.”
Ms Bacik called for the reintroduction of the emergency eviction ban, to assure people that they will be kept in their homes this winter.
“Rather than charging ahead blindly, I reiterate my call to government to listen to the experts, those involved on the frontlines of tackling homelessness and helping those at risk,” she stated.
“In the last 12 months, there has been a 21.6 per cent increase in homelessness. Things are not going to plan.
“We need a change of approach, we need assurances that these numbers will stop rising over the winter months ahead.”
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