Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing, Eoin Ó Broin, has said that now that with homelessness at almost 15,000, the idea that Fianna Fáil should be put back in charge of housing is not just untenable, it would be an absolute catastrophe.

The Dublin Mid-West general election candidate called on Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien to publish the government’s latest homeless report and rough sleeper account, so that people can judge the government on their record on housing and homelessness.

He added that this Friday will be voters’ last chance for five years to fix the housing crisis, and that Sinn Féin has the plan to make housing affordable, bring home ownership back into reach for working people, and end homelessness by 2030.

Eoin Ó Broin said:

“My message to voters is that this Friday will be your last chance for five years to fix the housing crisis.

“We simply cannot afford another five years of Fianna Fáil in charge of housing. Only Sinn Féin can deliver a change of Government.

“Sinn Féin has set out our plan to make housing affordable and bring home ownership back into reach for working people.

“If Sinn Féin is the largest party, we will be in the driving seat to lead a new government. And housing will be our number one priority.

“Under Fine Gael and Fianna Fail homeless, and in particular child homelessness, has reached levels never thought imaginable.

“Since 2011 when Fine Gael took office the number of people officially counted as homelessness has risen from 3,080 to 14,790. That is an increase of 380%.

“During the same period, the number of children officially counted as homeless has jumped from 641 to 4,561. That is an increase of 612%.

“Since 2020, when Fianna Fáil took charge of housing, homelessness has continued to rise. Under Darragh O’Brien’s watch homelessness has risen by 69% and child homelessness by 72%.

“There have never been as many adults, children, couples, singles and pensioners living in emergency accommodation.

“At a time when there are tens of thousands of vacant homes across the state and the government has access to surpluses in the billions, this situation is both scandalous and unacceptable.

“Sinn Féin has set out in our alternative housing plan, A Home Of Your Own, how we can end long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough by 2030.

“In government, we would prioritise agreeing an Ending Homeless Action Plan with homeless services providers within three months.

“We would ban no-fault evictions for six months, fund 6,500 tenant-in-situ purchases over five years and double the delivery of new build social homes to an average of 16,000 a year. Importantly we would ensure that the new social homes that are delivered meet the needs of those on the housing lists and at greatest risk of homelessness, including single person households.

“We would double the number of Housing First tenancies to 500 a year for single people in emergency accommodation and double the number of social housing allocations for people experiencing homelessness.

“We would also use emergency planning and procurement powers to deliver 10,000 age-friendly right-sizing homes in existing council estates.

“These would be used to end homelessness among the over-55s in the first year in government and, through ringfencing the larger homes freed up through voluntary rightsizing, deliver year-on-year reductions of the number of families with children in emergency accommodation.

“As the numbers of people in emergency accommodation reduce, we would phase out all communal emergency accommodation to ensure the highest possible standards for those who fund themselves temporarily homeless.

“Darragh O’Brien’s legacy as Minister for Housing will have been to preside over levels of homelessness people never imagined possible.

“When homelessness was approaching 10,000. Darragh O’Brien said the then Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy’s position was not tenable.

“Now that homelessness is almost at 15,000, the idea that Fianna Fáil should be put back in charge of housing is not just untenable, it would be an absolute catastrophe.

“This week Darragh O’Brien is sitting on two reports that will lay his appalling record in housing, the October homeless report and the latest quarterly rough-sleeper report.

“The Minister for Housing should publish both reports before polling day so people can judge him on his record.

“Only a Sinn Féin-led government will end long term homelessness and the need to sleep rough by 2030, because only Sinn Féin has the plan and the political will to end Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s housing and homelessness scandal.”