Aubrey McCarthy
University of Dublin · Independent · Ireland
“I briefly mention what my colleague Senator Andrews mentioned about the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, and its proposed reduction for those who are hosting Ukrainians in Ireland.”
“I have travelled to Ukraine and seen first-hand the resilience and dignity of the people. Many of the people I hosted are from Mariupol and have nothing to go back to. They are not just people receiving support but people who have become part of the community here. We should never forget why they came here in the first place.”
“Just as I was coming in this morning, standing on the lawn at the Merrion side of Leinster House it is hard to ignore the ragwort that is growing on the grass. Under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936, ragwort is a noxious weed.”
“I extend the welcome to Emma and Adam. I first met them through our homeless services at the Lighthouse Homeless Café. They came to access services. Adam is a bright lad. He is studying away. He is a fanatic when it comes to basketball and I hope that one day, he will play for Ireland, if not in the NBA in the US.”
“As someone who has spent over two decades in Tiglin, trying to get people from homelessness, addiction and domestic abuse back into employment and education, I can say that the Mr Price model works very well.”
“I hope we ensure that people such as Adam are given every chance to fulfil their dreams. I wish Emma and Adam every success. I thank Emma for volunteering at the Lighthouse with my manager, Mr. Rob Byrne. It is something special. I welcome the Belgian Ambassador to the House. He is a wonderful representative of his country.”
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“Mary, the Irish missionary community overseas and the families who are worried about their children and are living through this nightmare. I ask the Minister of State to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to outline the steps Ireland can take directly or through the EU or UN to support efforts to secure their safe return. I know 50 children have escaped but if there is any additional diplomatic or humanitarian support needed, Ireland should be ready. I also want to acknowledge the work of such volunteers as Mary from Donegal, who have devoted their lives to protecting vulnerable children. They should know we in this House stand with them today.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, for being in the House this morning. I want to highlight the disturbing kidnapping of 315 children from St. Mary's primary and secondary schools in Papiri in Nigeria. It is a school run by a religious order. The superior in the school is a lady called Sr. Mary Barron. She has been seen speaking on the news in recent days. It is horrendous. It is what every parent fears: children taken from their dormitories at night and families left helpless. We know in Ireland that schools have to be a safe place. What happened in Nigeria this week is an attack not only on the community but on the basic right of children to learn, grow and be safe. I want to express my personal support for Sr.”
“I met the two of them and they have both been in the house many times. I also, of course, met them in Trinity College. As part of the Seanad Independent Group, I commend Senator Clonan on this achievement. I congratulate the Minister of State on her new portfolio and know this is something she will champion as well. On behalf of myself, a new Senator in this role, and as part of the Seanad Independent Group, I commend Senator Clonan.”
“I commend my colleague Senator Clonan on this disability Bill. I am on the same university panel as him, so technically we were meant to compete. When I first met Tom, I told him what I was involved in. I set up a charity called Tiglin. It does not deal with people with disabilities, but people who have come from marginalised circumstances, such as homelessness, etc. The first thing he said was that he wanted to see what I do. He came out and visited our centre in Greystones. He spent time with the guys and asked questions. He was looking for answers to see how it works and what type of people we reach. That sums up the man who is behind this Bill and it shows that he has an interest in people who are marginalised, people who are on the outside and in isolation. I met his son, Eoghan, who is champion in his own right.”
“Many people are spending more time in their cars on the N7 than at the dinner table with their families. It is not just an inconvenience; it is a matter of national competitiveness and quality of life. We need urgent investment in road upgrades, we need intelligent traffic management and we need to expand public transport. The N7 cannot remain the bottleneck that it is. It has to be restored as a functional route. We have made inroads into road infrastructure but the population is increasing so there is a need to do much more.”
“I give a huge shout-out to the team at Tiglin, to the team at SETU under Professor Veronica Campbell for their vision and commitment, and to the Minister for higher education for being there to support it. I hope he will continue to support it going forward. If we are serious about tackling addiction, homelessness and social exclusion, education has to be at the very heart of our response. I also want to mention infrastructure. I know it has been raised before, but I must mention the queues faced by thousands of people as they commute to Dublin on the N7, which I travel on. It is also happening around Galway. The N7 is a vital artery connecting Dublin with the midlands and the south, but it has become a bottleneck of absolute frustration.”
“When education meets recovery and meets people where they are at, it makes a huge difference and gives them tools to build a better future. In just three years, more than 315 people came through the SETU Tiglin programme. For many of them, it was their first qualification ever. Some of them managed to get a master's degree during that time. It shows again that addiction does not define the individual. You can see the potential and it shines through. This initiative is a blueprint to scale for socially impactful education. It shows what lifelong learning can look like when it is in action. It is breaking cycles of disadvantage, marginalisation and vulnerability, and restoring dignity and hope.”
“Last Friday, Tiglin, the men's centre in Ashford, had a great event where we marked a milestone which deserves recognition in this House. We celebrated a partnership with South East Technological University, SETU, which was an education project for the past three years that was put together by the former Minister for higher education, Deputy Harris. It was a celebration of lives transformed not only through education but also through education when it is pinned with recovery. Last Friday's event was attended by the Minister, Deputy James Lawless; Dr. Helen Murphy from SETU; and Dr. Victoria Brownlee from the Higher Education Authority. We witnessed many people sharing their stories on how education directly impacted their recovery journey.”
“Two evenings ago I was in my own homeless café, The Lighthouse on Pearse Street. A young guy there lives in Ringsend in a tent because he cannot afford accommodation. He has a good job but he just cannot afford the rent in Dublin, which can be €2,500 for a one-bedroom apartment. Seeing people like that who do not have mental health or addiction struggles, yet are availing of homeless services that we provide, it is important that we watch out for some people like this and that we balance the decision to raise rents. Perhaps a phased introduction of raised rents over time could be looked into rather than putting it on before Christmas.”
“I wish to congratulate the women from the Kildare business women's network, Network Ireland Kildare branch, who are Leinster House today. I am not sure whether they have been to the House yet. Every year they do a fundraiser and I am the only male who is an honorary member of the women's business network in Kildare. They have had fundraisers in the past for the charity I am involved in, Tiglin, and have raised €20,000 or €30,000. They are a wonderful group of women who certainly deserve a shout out. I also want to mention the decision from Dublin City Council yesterday about raising rent. I know it was a razor-thin decision, 31 to 30. I can fully understand why it is being done but the timing is a bit tone deaf in that we are coming up to Christmas and many people are experiencing the cost-of-living crisis.”
“We will hear about more Brendan Gleesons and Colin Farrells out there. We will see more crews working steadily at home and more productions bearing an unmistakable Irish stamp of culture, from small impactful documentaries to blockbuster series featuring our talent. We have a wonderful opportunity here.”
“I see what Joe O'Connell has done with Ashford film studios. I have a rehab centre right beside it and it has brought so much employment to the area. Such disbursal of the budget should be clear. The intersection of streaming demand on Ireland's creative strengths represents a once in a generation opportunity. This Bill gives a financial lever for how we can progress. How we apply it will determine whether we build short-term activity or long-term capacity. I urge colleagues in the House to support this Bill. I ask the Minister and Screen Ireland to publish a clear delivery plan and targets for the regional disbursal that I have referenced and commitments to cultural support and sustainability. If we get this right, the next decade will see more Irish stories told by more Irish voices.”
“First, it should allow the additional capital to leverage inward streaming commissions by structuring co-investments that require training places, regional spend and clear environmental standards. Second, with the finance infrastructure, such as sound stages, post-production suites and studio capacity, Ireland can host multi-season productions, and we have proven that. Third, the funding needs to be attached to measurable skills to development, such as apprenticeships, investment in education in film, crew pathways and bursaries for new writers and directors from diverse backgrounds. Fourth, the cultural funding for first features, documentaries and Irish language projects needs to be protected. That is vital. Regional disbursal must be explicit and targets for productions outside of Dublin is vital.”
“Equally, Screen Ireland must regain vision and dynamism. The sector's renewal in recent decades was driven by public champions prepared to take risks on talent and ideas. Our recently retired President, Michael D. Higgins, was one of those people who was a visionary for the arts and he pushed. His commitment to culture helped a whole ecosystem where Irish storytelling and talent could flourish. Without that public support, political support and cultural leadership, we would not have the thriving industry that the Minister of State has spoken about today and which represents extraordinary talent. The Bill's increased funding should be applied strategically.”
“Otherwise, we lose sight of the board's cultural remit. The result can be overly risk-averse decision making that shies away from supporting bold or challenging Irish voices. There are two paths that we need to look at. On one side, we need look at the under-resourcing and the delays in bureaucracy, and on the other, the overly commercial showbiz mindset that forgets the public purpose of cultural funding. The board needs a sharpened focus, faster contract management and clear timelines, improving staffing and streamlined processes that enable producers to move from the green light to camera without unnecessary delays. I am involved in a charity for the last number of years and it is trying to finish the funding. It has done five years so far, but it needs to finish the funding to get it to screen time.”
“That delay slows the entire industry, frustrates producers and talent, and undermines confidence among private and international partners and funders. In many cases, it appears to be the result of excess bureaucracy and understaffing. For a public agency that is meant to fund to catalyse that production, it must operate with the speed, clarity and sufficient capacity. Alongside that slowdown in signing contracts, etc., there is also a perception within the sector that Screen Ireland has sometimes behaved more like a Hollywood studio than a State funder of culture. Commercial considerations are important, but when public money is being used to leverage private investment and maximise the economic impact, we have to be careful that the decisions are not driven primarily by fear of political or public blowback.”
“We can attract major productions here, not simply as location shoots, as it was before, but as long-term partnerships that build studio capacity here, nurture local crews and establish production hubs. If we can translate the global interest in Irish talent into sustainable jobs here, we need both capital and strategy. The ambition that we are talking about has to be matched by the confidence and purpose. One of the big and overriding issues facing the sector today is Screen Ireland's ongoing inability to progress contracts on active productions that it has already agreed to fund. They are contracts that are in the pipeline. There are projects that are languishing awaiting contract signatures, budget approvals or disbursements.”
“They have become household names worldwide in their careers. They demonstrate the global appetite for Irish talent and storytelling. These artists did not emerge in a vacuum, but are the product of investment, an ecosystem of training, regional theatre and small-scale productions, and craftspeople who deserve such sustained investment. We are also living through a transformation. It is a different world out there in how audiences access the content, which the Minister of State mentioned, with streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple TV, YouTube and many others. They have created enormous demand for fresh high-quality content. That demand is a huge opportunity for Ireland.”
“I, too, welcome the opportunity to speak on Second Stage of the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill 2025. This Bill raises the board's maximum aggregate funding from €500 million to €840 million. It is a decisive statement of intent from the State to back our creative industries at scale, to grow jobs and to secure Ireland's place on the international screen. I warmly support that ambition, but I also ask that we make sure that we allocate this capital in ways that maximise long-term cultural, economic and regional benefits. Our film and television sector already punches far above its weight. It is a good news story worldwide. Irish actors and film-makers are among the most recognised globally when we think of names such as Saoirse Ronan, Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson and so many others.”
“Another issue that always comes to the fore is zoning and servicing and the gridlock that happens there. Councils will not zone land - I know this from my own area - unless Uisce Éireann confirms capacity. Uisce Éireann cannot confirm capacity without the proper funding, so it is like a catch-22. That is a gridlock that certainly needs to be addressed, and I believe the Minister, Deputy Browne, will do that. Housing and water are inseparable, and families cannot move into homes without reliable services. Those services must meet the highest standards of quality. I urge the Government to give Irish Water the resources and authority it needs to deliver both homes for our people and clean water for our community. I am not too sure if the Minister of State knows, but today is World Toilet Day.”
“I ask the Minister of State to address the task, which is twofold: to ensure that Irish Water can deliver the infrastructure necessary for housing and to guarantee that the water supply is safe and clean but also sustainable. Investment must be accelerated, planning must be streamlined and collaboration with farmers, communities and NGOs must be deepened. I acknowledge the announcement of the Minister, Deputy Browne, last week that, under the housing plan, an additional €12.2 billion will be invested in water services. This is a significant and a very welcome commitment. Such a level of funding will not only accelerate housing delivery, I believe, but also ensure that serviced land is available. It will also modernise and expand our water infrastructure nationwide.”
“We regularly see boil water notices and they remain in place in several communities. Cryptosporidium outbreaks remind us of the risks when infrastructure lags behind. Irish Water has made progress, and that must be mentioned, in upgrading treatment plants and reducing the number of schemes on the EPA's remedial action list, but challenges remain. Nutrient pollution from agriculture, combined with inadequate wastewater treatment in certain areas, continues to undermine water quality. This has knock-on effects for biodiversity, which has been mentioned in this House many times, for public health and for Ireland's compliance with EU directives.”
“If we are serious about meeting the Housing for All targets that were announced by the Minister, Deputy James Browne, last week, which are really encouraging, then Irish Water must be resourced and mandated to prioritise the expansion of infrastructure in the growth areas. This is not simply just about pipes and treatment plants; it is about ensuring that families can move into homes, that towns and villages can thrive and that Ireland can meet its obligation to provide shelter for all. At the same time, the Minister of State mentioned the quality of water, and we cannot lose sight of the quality of water that flows into these homes I have mentioned. The most recent Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, report shows that half our rivers, lakes and estuaries fail to meet good ecological status.”
“If these projects are truly national priorities, we need full Government backing and legislation to protect them from further delays. There are 20-, 30- and 40-year-old assets that, as the Minister of State has mentioned, need to be updated. They cannot be at the mercy of short-term politics or endless procedural cycles. Their funding and approval timelines must be ring-fenced and protected by law. Local authorities and developers repeatedly highlight that the single biggest constraint on housing delivery is the availability of serviced land, tier 1 land. Without adequate water and wastewater capacity, planning permissions cannot be activated and communities are left waiting.”
“However, the regulation states he has to go by Uisce Éireann. Uisce Éireann then gave him a quote of over €500,000. That was the debate in the audiovisual room today. We all know that, across the country, housing projects are being delayed, and it has been mentioned in this House many times, because of the lack of water and infrastructure and it cannot keep pace with demand. I am on the housing committee and we have had Uisce Éireann in and we have seen that many essential projects are drifting, such as the greater Dublin city drainage project, which has been delayed for years. The Shannon-to-Dublin water supply project, without which Dublin faces a critical shortage, has come up many times. Strategic trunk mains and regional upgrades are long overdue across the country.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. He is very welcome to the Seanad, and I welcome the opportunity to contribute to today's statements on Irish Water, Uisce Éireann. I emphasise the critical role, as the Minister of State himself has mentioned, that Uisce Éireann plays in enabling the delivery of new homes. We all know that housing is the defining social and economic challenge of our time. This morning I was at the audiovisual room briefing with the IPAV, at which examples were given as to how property developments are being delayed. One example was given by a developer. He said there is a 125 m waterline to be put in between 75 houses and the proper Uisce Éireann infrastructure. He received a quote from a developer-builder who puts in waterlines and it was €1,000 per metre, that is, €125,000.”
“I acknowledge the LDA and the amazing work it is doing, Dublin City Council and, especially, the people of Bluebell who never gave up on their community. This award belongs to them.”
“That is social and affordable housing of a high-quality design with climate-conscious planning. Not only that, but they are fully integrated into the existing fabric of the community. As chair of that council, I have seen the hope this has brought to Bluebell, to the families who want stability and to the older residents who want to remain in the area where they were brought up. For years, we have been told that regeneration must be done with communities. Now, it is being done. This has been spearheaded by Tommy Coombes, who is a community development worker in the area. It is a sign that the Government and local authorities can make a difference. If we can scale this in this city and across the country, let us use this serviced land, regenerate and engage the community early.”
“I reiterate what my colleague, Senator Shane Curley, mentioned about SpunOut. I was with it today in Dublin City Council. It is an amazing organisation for youth advocacy celebrating 20 years. There was a huge turnout today and I wish the organisation congratulations. As chair of the Bluebell community council, I acknowledge an important award we received last Friday regarding our Bluebell waterway project. This is a partnership between the Land Development Agency, LDA, and Dublin City Council. We were honoured by receiving the 2025 Irish Planning Institute housing and community project award. It recognises not only planning excellence, but also genuine, community-centred regeneration. I am chair of the community council and the project we are doing will enable 383 new houses to be built in Dublin 12.”
“I want to ensure this plan empowers local authorities, provides finance, makes sure smaller builders can build and streamlines the planning process, so there will be no more disappointment and the next plan, the fifth, will not lead to higher homeless levels. I call on the Leader to schedule a full debate in the House to ensure the voices of those most affected, namely, families, renters and the homeless, can be heard in this Chamber.”
“It is now up to the county councils to amend their plans and include that serviced land - the tier 1 land - to activate the most deliverable sites because families in emergency accommodation are paying the price for the delays. While the Minister, Deputy Browne, has said we are going to have 300,000 houses over the next six years, including 90,000 starter homes, 15,000 affordable homes and 12,000 social homes, certain Opposition parties are already saying this will fall far short. I hope the Minister is successful in this. I welcome the €2.5 billion given to the Land Development Agency, LDA. I am doing a project with the agency in Bluebell where we won an award last week. It has been wonderfully successful.”
“Last week, we marked the new housing plan, which is the Government's long-awaited housing plan. The Taoiseach called it the most unprecedented investment in housing ever. It is the fourth such plan and I really hope it works. When the first plan was launched, we had 800 children who were homeless. This fourth plan is coming at a time when there are 5,286 children homeless. Updated housing targets have been given to local authorities. It is essential we keep the pipeline moving, with clear authority given to the local authorities to zone land that is fully serviced in order to develop these sites. Many of these ready-to-go sites were left out of the early draft variations, despite having confirmed capacity, certainly in my area of Kildare.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann: - reaffirms its outright condemnation and revulsion at Russia’s war in Ukraine, expresses solidarity with Poland and calls on the Russian Federation to retreat and remove its armed forces from all Ukrainian territory.”
“I have to ask what number of homeless children are we looking for before we act on it or are we waiting, perhaps, for the first child to die of homelessness before we act on the urgency of this crisis. I pray and hope that this will be the Oireachtas that makes a difference when it comes to child homelessness.”
“They went through the various statistics about how over 5,000 children are staying in hotels or family hubs for their second Christmas and they are being told they cannot play in the corridors. They cannot bring their pet, because pets are not allowed. They gave the testimony of a six-year-old child who was whispering to one of their support workers that they are ashamed to tell their school classmates where they are living as it comes with its own reputation. No child should ever know that kind of shame. There needs to be cross-party support and every single shoulder needs to get behind the initiatives of the Minister, Deputy James Browne. The plan, this time, must work. It must give real hope to these children.”
“I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 52, motion 1, on the Order Paper be taken before No. 1, without debate. The motion in question, which was tabled by me and supported by my colleagues, reads: "That Seanad Éireann: - reaffirms its outright condemnation and revulsion at Russia's war in Ukraine, expresses solidarity with Poland [regarding the drones] and calls on the Russian Federation to retreat and remove its armed forces from all Ukrainian territory." When the first homeless child strategy was launched, there were 800 children without a home. Today, I attended the Simon Community launch and the Focus Ireland launch and we discussed the fourth such homeless strategy. Now, we are at 5,286 homeless children. That is not progress. It is heartbreaking.”
“I just want to say go raibh míle maith agaibh to President Higgins and Sabina for making compassion the cornerstone of the Presidency.”
“In the period since residents of Tiglin, the people who use our homeless hostel, have been asked to attend garden parties, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony and various events in the Áras. Even when people from the homeless cohort graduated from college, they would get a letter from the President, which really showed that not only were they seen, they were also valued by our Head of State. These gestures were not symbolic. I salute President Higgins because I think he has been a transformative President. In a world in which we often talk about marginalisation, we had an amazing example where we had a President who opened the doors of Áras an Uachtaráin and invited us to the table. I know, wearing the Tiglin hat, that it meant the world to the Tiglin family.”
“For Tiglin, the charity with which I am involved, the President did not simply offer words. He became not only a figurehead, but he invited us into his home many times. I remember a number of years back when the President was elected that I received an invitation to go to Áras an Uachtaráin. I presumed it was a big event. When I arrived, it was just me and my guest, my sister. We arrived at 1 p.m. and were there for many hours. The President and Sabina asked us all the details about our family history, how we started Tiglin, what the purpose of it was and what we wanted to do. You could see that the President took an interest and wanted to meet the marginalised people who we worked with.”
“I welcome my colleagues from the south western drugs task force. They do amazing work in the south-west region. My purpose in rising today is to congratulate our President-elect, Catherine Connolly, who is in the House this morning, on being elected as the tenth President of Ireland. Her election is certainly wonderful news for Galway, but it is also great news for the nation. She is a woman of integrity and has been a voice for compassion in the Oireachtas. I look forward to seeing her commitment to justice, equality and democracy in the years ahead. I take this moment to acknowledge an amazing man whose Presidency was certainly defined by humanity, dignity and social inclusion. I refer to President Michael D. Higgins. I also acknowledge his wife, Sabina, who is a force for compassion in her own right.”
“We have to act to protect our critical systems and that means investing as a country in robust digital defences, staff training and protocols. I call on the Leader to schedule a debate with the relevant Minister to outline Ireland's cybersecurity strategy and ensure we are not left exposed again, as we were with the HSE. The digital resilience of the country is surely a national priority.”
“We must ensure our systems to deal with what happened in Citywest safeguard the vulnerable and that public order is upheld. I ask the Leader to schedule time with the Minister for justice to address these matters in this House as a matter of urgency. There is an urgent need for increased cybersecurity across both public and private sectors in light of the disruption last weekend to Amazon’s Web services. My Duolingo crashed so I could not learn Irish. The disruption caused widespread outages, affecting businesses and services. We must remember what happened the HSE in 2021, which exposed serious vulnerabilities in the national infrastructure. Cyber threats are escalating, not just in frequency but also in sophistication.”
“On another note, we have to seek answers on the accused individual and the circumstances surrounding his presence in the community. Equally troubling was the violent unrest last night in Citywest. Fireworks were thrown at Garda vans and blown up. The gardaí are doing their best to protect us all in the community. To see them attacked by our own is simply unacceptable. The behaviour was not only putting the public in danger but also members of the gardaí, who were simply doing their duty. Violence is never the answer. As with after the riots in Dublin, those held responsible for the events in Citywest must be held to account. I call for a full and transparent investigation into both incidents. The public deserves clarity and action.”
“I welcome the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament. He has an amazing ambassador representing his country in Ireland: Leena Gardemeister. She is very welcome here this morning. I want to mention some sad news, which is the disturbing report of the alleged sexual assault of a young girl in Saggart. My thoughts and prayers are certainly with the child, her family and the people who were meant to be looking after her. The wider community is devastated by such news, and rightly so, but the incident certainly raises questions – they have been mentioned in this House this morning – about how a vulnerable child under the care of Tusla and who was meant to be protected was not adequately protected. We have to demand answers and accountability in this regard.”
“Even the results of that will be seen in the future. If we are serious about solving the housing crisis, we have to prepare to be stronger and use urgent measures. I want the Minister, Deputy James Browne, to be the most successful housing Minister. I want this to work. I do not want to criticise just for the sake of gaining political capital. I want to be there so that if there is anything we can do, even as a Seanad, to improve the housing situation, we are totally behind the Minister.”
“I appreciate the reply. One line stands out and I am excited about it where he said, “Addressing homelessness, and in particular homeless families and children, is a key priority for the Minister”. I am slightly concerned in dealing with the people through my voluntary work. I would welcome the Minister to come to Pearse Street, which is fairly close by, to meet some of the people I have spoken about and to realise they are not just statistics. We can do more and can do better to resolve the problem. At the moment home ownership seems like an impossible dream for many and it seems that we are missing out on a generation of homeowner. This evening, 5,145 children are doing their homework in emergency accommodation, with no play area and of course without being able to have their friends over etc.”
“A lot of them need extra supports. That is where we need to focus. As has been mentioned before, the establishment of a housing task force would ensure housing accountability, and it would also ensure co-ordinated action. My question is this: how are we going to deal with the numbers on my whiteboard in a way that ensures we are not back here in six months looking at a worse situation?”
“He had tried different services for many years. We got him into rehab. He got his life back on track but he also had supported housing. He started to work through our community employment scheme. Today, that guy owns a house in Wicklow. He is a productive member of society as a manager in a company. I have noticed that with the proper supports, change can actually occur for the individual, for the world and certainly for Ireland. I believe we need to be more ambitious in our approach. The Minister of State knows that. We need to provide housing solutions, and we need to provide the supports that go with those solutions. In the Lighthouse homeless café on Pearse Street, we feed about 500 people a day. If the Minister were to give me 500 houses today, it would not solve the problems of the people who go there.”
“When we look at the numbers, we see that the number of emergency accommodation applicants has risen by 13% in the past year. Included in that are 2,400 families and 252 people over the age of 65. It reflects a system that is not working. It seems we have a housing plan that is failing to meet the urgency we are presented with. As we approach the start of winter, it is getting colder. Like isolation and vulnerability, cold weather impacts people who are homeless far more than the ordinary person. Focus Ireland and the Simon Community have said in recent reports that housing alone is not enough, and that support is also needed. An example is one guy who came to us with his son at the Lighthouse, the homeless café on Pearse Street. He had a dual diagnosis of mental health and addiction issues, but he was homeless.”
“I was excited to see the new Minister for housing and I was hoping that we would all be part of the solution to improve the numbers in an area with which I am very familiar through my voluntary role as chair of Tiglin. Today, I want to review progress. I am sad to say that the situation has deteriorated even further since then. The latest figures from the Department are stark. There are 16,353 individuals in emergency accommodation. We now have 5,145 children in homeless accommodation. That is an increase of over 700 in total in the past year. For the first time, the number of children in such accommodation has exceeded 5,000. Those are not just statistics; they are kids who are going to be brought up in emergency accommodation, which is going to have a huge impact going forward.”