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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

Homeless families in accommodation

Summary

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised two family cases involving years in homeless accommodation and eviction risk, asking for empathy and intervention. The Tánaiste asked for the case details and said neither family should end up on the streets.

The Tánaiste mentioned empathy earlier. Will his Government extend a bit of empathy to families that are in homeless accommodation for years on end? I raise this matter because I am currently dealing with two cases where there is a distinct lack of empathy being shown. As I understand it, this is at least significantly to do with Government policy. In one case, a family of eight, including a disabled mother, a father and six children, three of whom are in college, have been in homeless accommodation for six years. They are going to be evicted from the hotel they are in because the father briefly went over the income thresholds the Government promised but failed to raise. He has now lost his job but, because of the legislation, his family is going to be made homeless and he is not entitled, after six years in emergency accommodation, to the housing assistance payment. The other family, of two parents and four children, has been housed in multiple homeless accommodations over the past four years. The family is going to be thrown out of its current accommodation because it has to be refurbished.

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Catherine Connolly An Leas-Cheann Comhairle Independent

Thank you, Deputy. We are over time.

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What empathy will the Government show those families?

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Leo Varadkar The Tánaiste Fine Gael

If the Deputy wants to provide me with the details of those cases later today or before the end of the week and give me permission to make representations on behalf of the families, which I need, I would be happy to look into them, check out what the story is and see whether there is any way we can help. Certainly, I do not think we could possibly have either of those families ending up on the streets or without accommodation. That would not be acceptable to anyone in this House. They are going to need help but I need their details. I will be happy to look into the matter.

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