Sinn Féin Leader on Dublin City Council and European election candidate for Dublin, Daithí Doolan, has said that the record-breaking homeless figures in the capital is further proof that the government parties need to be voted out of office.

Cllr Doolan was responding following the publication of the latest homeless figures published by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

The report showed that for the third consecutive month, over 10,000 people in the capital were in emergency accommodation, a year-on-year increase of 12%.

Cllr Doolan said that to reduce and ultimately eradicate homelessness, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party must be voted out of office, starting with Friday’s European and local elections.

Cllr Doolan said:

“The April Dublin Region Homeless Executive report has, for the third consecutive month, shown homeless figures of over 10,000 in our capital city.

“It is another dark day for Dublin City as a new record of 10,216 was set. That figure was 9,010 this time last year, representing a 12% increase in just 12 months.

“What is worse is that it is being normalised. Despite the state-wide homeless figure reaching 14,000 for the first time yesterday, it barely got 15 seconds of a mention on the RTÉ 6.1 News.

“That is unacceptable and as a society we have to be better than this. Housing is the number one issue coming up on the doors in this city and right across the state.

“This government and their failing housing plan are the cause of this unacceptable month-on-month rise in homelessness.

“Only a change of government and a change of housing plan can reverse the ever rising levels of homelessness.

“Delivering genuinely affordable homes for workers and families will only be achieved under a Sinn Féin-led government. That change starts with Friday’s local and European elections.

“When people go to the polls on Friday, they should remember this. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party are the parties of homelessness.

“If you want homelessness to reduce and ultimately be eradicated you have to vote these parties out of office.”