As we are coming to the end of our summer term, I will look back on the first item I raised on the Order of Business last September, namely, that of housing. At the time, I referred to the awful homelessness figures that month, when 10,568 people, including 3,137 children, were homeless. Nine months later, there are now 12,441 people, including 3,699 children, homeless. That is an increase of 2,000 people. More than 500 more children are now homeless. These facts do not lie. The Government is failing miserably on housing. It is shameful. What is worse is that there is no prospect of it improving. Fr. Peter McVerry, a person who I hope commands respect across this Chamber, stated that, looking to the future, there is no evidence those figures will come down. He further stated that more working people are now living in hostels. The vast majority of those who make up the new homeless and account for the increase in homelessness figures every month are people working for a living who are being put out of their houses under no-fault evictions. Of course, that is a direct result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael lifting the no-fault eviction ban. It was a shameful decision. I ask that the first debate we have when we come back in September be on housing. This situation cannot continue. We cannot continue to see the Government fail on housing, month after month. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage says it is very disappointing, as if he has nothing to do with it and it is some kind of natural disaster. Sinn Féin has repeatedly pointed out what needs to be done, starting with reapplying the ban on evictions. That must happen, along with a host of other measures my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, has spelled out. This record of shame will stand for years to come. A Fianna Fáil supporter who is a friend of mine in my village told me he cannot believe he would ever see the day when Fianna Fáil would facilitate the eviction of people from their homes. A number of evictions will take place in Castleconnell in the coming months.

Finally, as it is 4 July, I again call for the freedom of Julian Assange. The US should drop the charges and give that man his freedom.

I join others in supporting the call for a debate on the situation in Palestine. I also support the call by Senator Flynn for a debate in the context of her remarks on Travellers and Traveller Pride Week. I support the calls for those debates.

Every year, there are issues with secondary school places. The issues generally sort themselves out in time but I have come across several cases in Galway that are taking much longer than normal to sort out. It is upsetting for children who still do not have an allocated secondary school place to hear their friends talking about the school they will attend next August or September and making plans in that regard. It is upsetting and frustrating for the parents, who have tried everything and are engaging with Tusla and the Department to ensure there is a place.

I have raised this matter before in the House. I have raised it with the Minister, Deputy Foley. It is just so exasperating that the system does not allow for additional places to be announced within schools in order that children can have certainty. It is now July. We are talking about the end of next month and these children have no school places. It is difficult to find out the numbers. I am dealing with a small number of parents whose children do not have school places. It is so upsetting for those children.

We met yesterday with the campaign for a pension increase. I was happy to be able to say that there will be an increase in the pension in the forthcoming budget. I certainly could not commit to what they were seeking. A number of points were made. Pensioners who are living alone have higher costs. The point was made that they cannot put on the lights or other electrical equipment. The costs are there for those households. I certainly hope that as well as pension increases, there will be a substantial increase in the living alone allowance in the forthcoming budget.