Homeless Persons Supports
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-04
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Thomas Gould (SF), Cork North-Central

The Minister of State outlined what is happening. I sincerely hope he will take on board the submissions made during the consultation and the point I have made today because I have raised this previously. We will disagree on politics and fight and argue over the housing policy and how I believe a number of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael Governments have caused the housing emergency we are in. I hope they will take the opportunity to provide this small support because it will make such a difference to homeless families and especially children in emergency accommodation. On top of that, when you look at the number of people who are homeless or in emergency accommodation - the figures came out last week - it is heartbreaking that so many families are being traumatised this way. I have spoken to parents, both men and women, who have cried in my office because they think they have failed their children. They cried because they do not see a solution. This week alone, two people came in with notices to quit and three homeless people came into my clinic on Monday. Those two families had notices to quit. The previous week we had seven people with notices to quit or people coming in homeless. There has been a tsunami of homelessness because of the new Government rent increase Bill that came in on 1 March. These families coming into me with notices to quit are terrified of the effects it will have on their children. They are terrified of how they will get to school or get to play with their friends or local clubs. This Leap card will make a real difference to ordinary children. I know the Minister is assessing it. I sincerely hope he takes it on board.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-04