Sinn Féin housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin TD has said that ‘rising levels of homelessness is further evidence that the Government’s housing plan is failing.’

The Dublin Mid-West TD was responding to the Deparrtment of Housing monthly homeless report for November released today which shows that all categories of homelessness increased on the previous month.

Teachta Ó Broin said:

“The November homeless report from the Department of Housing shows yet another rise in all categories of homelessness on the previous month.

“In November there were 13,514 people including 4,105 children and 193 senior citizens in Department of Housing funded emergency accommodation.

“Once again, this Government has broken all records for officially recognised homelessness.

“Over Christmas the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said that any reasonable person looking at the evidence would conclude that the Government’s housing plan is working.

“In fact, any reasonable person looking at today’s figures would draw only one conclusion, the Government’s housing plan is not only failing, it is making things worse.

“How long will Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael allow these homeless numbers to increase? Since the current Government was formed homelessness and child homelessness has increased by a shocking 55%.

“It is now clear that the longer Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in office the worse the housing and homelessness crisis will get.

“Only with a change of Government and a change of housing plan, with a real focus on ending homelessness, can we start to undo the damage of decades of bad Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael housing policy.”