Friday's homelessness figures marked yet another shameful milestone, with 12,259 people now recorded as homeless, including more than 4,000 children. This morning, stark testimony was given to the housing committee by representatives of Threshold, the Simon Communities and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, which reminded Oireachtas Members that the 12,000 plus figure recorded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage excluded the many people in hidden homelessness who face the insecurity of couch surfing and sleeping in the homes of friends and families on a temporary basis.

Particularly stark testimony was given by a public health nurse, Ms Jackie Austin, who told of the deeply unsuitable accommodation being used to house families, with babies and infants in hotel rooms that do not even have the space to fit a cot or crib. This is an unthinkable situation for any parent. The Labour Party's Housing (Homeless Families) Bill 2017 would ensure that children were prioritised-----

Time is up, I am afraid.

-----in the allocation of housing. Will the Government support the Bill, as Focus Ireland has sought, and ensure it is brought into law?

We will certainly consider any legislation that the Labour Party puts forward, but I would have to understand how that would work. We also have an issue of older people - senior citizens - becoming homeless. Would the Labour Party's Bill have the effect of putting them at the bottom of the list? That would be a problem. What we need is enough social housing for everyone.